The Ek'Tevan Prerogative
by Simplymare
Summary: Spock goes to New Vulcan to answer to the "Ek'tevan Prerogative", an edict which requires Vulcan males to give up their reproductive rights to the State. When Spock refuses to comply, he is arrested and forced into a chemically induced plak-tau.
1. Chapter 1

**The Ek'tevan Prerogative  
****By Mary K. Hanson  
**Limited Copyright © 2010

**Disclaimers: **This story is based on characters in the 2009 alternate reality version of "Star Trek". Although the story itself is an original and belongs to me, and the characters of Sa'aat, Tasmeen, Semuk and a few other Vulcans, and the race known as the Coh'Lie are my own creations, this story in no way intends to infringe on the copyright of Paramount Picture or CBS or any other legal owner of copyright as regards "Star Trek", its world and/or its characters.(1) This is a piece of fan fiction meant for entertainment purposes only. I am not making a profit of any kind from the very limited publication and distribution of this piece.

Generally, all Vulcan words and translations are from the **VLD (Vulcan Language Dictionary)** and the **Vulcan to English Dictionary** . I did make up a few words and phrases of my own based on the aforementioned dictionaries and the tenants of Vulcan grammar.

Although based in Trek canon, I have taken a few liberties with the characters and their personal histories (as does all fan fiction).

**Back Story:** This story takes place about a year after the destruction of the planet Vulcan by Nero of Romulus. On New Vulcan, Spock Prime has been murdered, and Commander Spock (herein know simply as "Spock") has been contacted on the _Enterprise_ to advise him of this crime. Spock has also been enjoined to come to New Vulcan as quickly as possible in answer to new statutes than have been enacted on New Vulcan which affect all Vulcan citizens. As the _Enterprise_ is not currently engaged in any urgent mission, and is occupied with the pick-up and transport of Federation personnel on Cindery 23, Kirk allows Spock to take a shuttlecraft to New Vulcan, and Uhura and McCoy accompany him. On New Vulcan, Spock is reunited with a much beloved teacher he had as a teenager, but their reunion is tainted by the facts that New Vulcan is currently on the verge of civil war and Spock is being used as a pawn between warring factions. **This story is in six acts with a short epilogue.**

**Rating:** This story has a firm MA rating for mature themes, language, violence, sexual content, murder and rape.

The story is in a sort of screenplay format, so it might be a little difficult to read at first. Once you get used to the style, though, it'll be easier to read... and I think you'll like the story. It's "dark" but suspenseful.

**NOTE:** The numbers you may see throughout the text, like (3) refer to endnotes that define and explain terms in more detail.

* * *

**ACT ONE:**

**Interior: Transitional Council Cathedral on New Vulcan, Hallway**

Dressed in their Star Fleet Uniforms, **Dr. Leonard McCoy** and **Lieutenant Nyotah Uhura** are standing together in a hallway outside of some huge doors inside the cathedral. McCoy is holding his communicator up trying to find a spot in the hallway where reception is good enough for him to contact the _Enterprise_.

**McCoy  
**McCoy, to _Enterprise_. Come in, _Enterprise_.  
(to Uhura)  
And you wonder why I hate these things. They never work when you need them to.

Uhura takes the communicator from him and does something simple to boost the signal. As she hands it back to McCoy, we can hear **Captain Kirk's voice** coming from the small device.

**Kirk  
**(Voice over communicator)  
Kirk, here. Bones? Is that you?

**McCoy  
**Yeah, it's me, Jim. Although I still don't really know why I was sent on this away mission. It's not like I have expertise in Vulcan politics or diplomacy or anything like that.

**Kirk  
**(Voice over communicator)  
Someone's got to keep an eye on Spock and Uhura when they're off-ship, doctor. What's New Vulcan like?

**McCoy  
**Weird… and beautiful. Like their old planet but without all the dust and the giant crab-things walking around the desert. It's amazing how much progress they've made in less than a year, Jim. There is already a central city and some outlying townships, food and water processing facilities, acreage set aside for farming and greenhouses, hospitals, schools… You got to hand it to them; the Vulcans certainly aren't slackers.

**Kirk  
**(Voice over communicator)  
Is Spock enjoying himself?

**McCoy  
**How could you tell if he was?  
(more seriously)  
Actually, Jim, that's why I contacted you. Spock was separated from us almost immediately after we landed and we haven't seen or heard from him since. He's not responding to our communicator calls and I can't get any of these tight-lipped green-blooded SOB's to tell me where he is. We can still get him on the tricorder, so we know he's still alive -- although it's a little difficult tracing him with all the other Vulcans around. I know Spock can handle himself, but I admit I am worried…

**Kirk  
**(Voice over communicator, somewhat jokingly)  
Well, isn't that touching? Bones, I didn't know you had it in you!  
(more serious)  
Tell you what: I'll put in a communiqué to the Transitional Council seat from here; see if that doesn't rattle some cages and get you some answers. But, you know, the Vulcans have always been pretty private about the goings-on on their planet and within their government. They've also been through a lot over the past several months; and I'm sure having the murder of Spock Prime on their doorstep isn't helping matters any… It's not unusual for them to ignore us Humans when they're deep in discussions. And the fact that they haven't confiscated any of your gear or blocked communications with the ship is an encouraging sign. Keep me apprised of the situation, though. If your situation changes or anything else looks hinky to you, let me know immediately.

**McCoy  
**Will do, Jim. How's your taxi trip going?

**Kirk  
**(Voice over communicator)  
Cindery 23 is little more than an asteroid with a base on it: weird… and beautiful. Like the Garruda Nest along the Klingon border but without all the radiation-fleas, and Klingon battlecruisers flying around. We should have everyone packed up and off the rock within another day or so.

**McCoy  
**Sounds like a plan, Jim. I'll keep you apprised. McCoy, out.

McCoy pockets his communicator just as a **young Vulcan girl** approaches. She is perhaps 8 to 10 years old. Her name is **Tasmeen**. She does not speak to the Humans, but slips between them toward the large doors. With a hand-held instrument that emits a melodic tone, she unlocks the doors, opens them and indicates to the Humans to enter the room beyond.

**Interior: Transitional Council Cathedral on New Vulcan, Formal Chamber, Back Seating Area**

McCoy and Uhura enter through the side door into the back of the cathedral's main hall, the "formal chamber". There is no one else seated in this area, but there are several Vulcan soldiers in ceremonial regalia standing along the walls. Tall arched windows behind them, give this space its only source of light. All of the soldiers wear dark, diamond-shaped masks that cover their faces mouth to chin, but leave the eyes exposed so they can see everything around them. Each masked soldier stands at strict attention, and each holds a lirpa(2 )at his side. Tasmeen, leaves, and we hear a distinct "click" when the doors shut completely again. McCoy and Uhura slip into a pew at the fore of the seating area and sit down. McCoy looks irritated, Uhura concerned.

The view shifts to show us what they can see of the cathedral from the seating area.

**Interior: Transitional Council Cathedral, Formal Chamber, McCoy's POV **

The ceiling is lofted to 30 feet or more overhead and has skylights that flood portions of the cathedral's main floor with sunlight. Between the skylights are chandeliers that look like hanging rock formations glittering with glowing crystalline deposits. Below the ceiling, there seems to be acres of floor space between the back seating area and the dais at the front of the cathedral. On the dais are long low tables set up in a horseshoe arrangement. Beyond the tables is a raised area where the ministers' chairs, like six tall thrones, are situated behind matching footstools. Banners with cursive Vulcan calligraphy running down them hang from the walls behind the ministers' chairs.

The floor space between the seating area in the back and the dais area in the front has been buffed to a high polish and reflects everything around it. It is completely vacant of furniture, but there are Vulcans milling around, some singularly, some in small groups. The whole place echoes with their quiet talking. The Vulcans are dressed in formal attire; the males in long coats and slim dress pants, and the females in floor-length chalice-shaped dresses, their heads covered by veils or scarves. Some of the females sport heavy jewelry made of dark metal and large flat stones. It is obvious in this gathering that the females out-number the males three or four to one.

The view shifts back to the seating area at the rear of the cathedral.

**Interior: Transitional Council Cathedral, Formal Chamber, Back Seating Area**

**McCoy  
**(grumbling under his breath)  
Well, there's nothing subtle about what the Ministers think of us Humans, is there? Could we have been placed any further away from them?

**Uhura  
**Yes. They could have left us outside.

**McCoy  
**That might actually have been a little less insulting.

Uhura shushes the doctor, and looks around.

**Uhura  
**Do you see Spock?

**McCoy  
**(craning his neck to look around)  
I don't see him anywhere…  
(indicates)  
…But there's that Sa'aat fellow we met earlier.  
(loud enough for Sa'aat to hear him)  
Sa'aat - !

**Interior: Transitional Council Cathedral, Formal Chamber, Floor Area, McCoy's POV**

The male, **Sa'aat**, turns at the sound of McCoy's voice. He is tall and lean, with dark eyes; quite handsome even by Human standards. Although he wears the traditional Vulcan "bangs" in the front, he has a long braid of black hair running down past his shoulders to the lower part of his back. The braid is decorated with white-gold ribbon filaments. He is dressed in formalwear, but not a military uniform, although he has the rank of General. Sa'aat is about 20 years Spock's senior, but he looks about the same age as Spock, and is very fit and trim. He lowers his gaze to the floor as he walks past the other Vulcans and heads toward where the Humans sit. Some of the other Vulcans follow Sa'aat with their eyes. As he heads toward the Humans, Sa'aat walks with a somewhat stiff posture, as though he is aware of the eyes upon him and does not like the way they feel. Others among the Vulcans on the floor give McCoy steely stares and raised eyebrows.

When Sa'aat nears the back area, the masked soldiers around the perimeter of the area all bang the cudgel end of their lirpas on the floor as a form of salute. The sound echoes through the chamber. Sa'aat ignores their formality.

**Interior: Transitional Council Cathedral, Formal Chamber, Back Seating Area**

**McCoy  
**(loudly, irritated, to the other Vulcans on the floor who are giving him dirty looks)  
Sorry, I didn't know speaking wasn't allowed in here… since you were all doing it.

**Sa'aat  
**(as he approaches, to McCoy, his voice low)  
Speaking is permitted -- by Vulcans. This is a Formal Chamber. Guests are generally limited to viewership rights only. Quiet is preferred. If you must speak to one another, do so in a respectfully low tone. Otherwise remain still and do not address any of the Ministers or citizens of Vulcan in this place unless you are addressed first or are otherwise given permission to do so.

**McCoy  
**So, you go by the idea that "Humans are best seen and not heard"; is that it?

Sa'aat gives McCoy a long stare before responding to him.

**Sa'aat  
**Perhaps I am not as adept at your language as I thought I was. Did you not understand what I said previously?

**McCoy  
**I understood you… I'm just ignoring the fact that you told me to shut up.

Sa'aat raises an eyebrow, looking somewhat surprised by the brash tone used by McCoy. McCoy continues:

**McCoy  
**You know, maybe it would help if you'd given us a heads-up on Vulcan etiquette before you plopped us down in the middle of a place like this.

**Sa'aat  
**And may I respectfully suggest that it may behoove Star Fleet to properly educate its personnel on planetary customs before assigning said personnel to away missions.

**McCoy  
**Nice.

Uhura puts a hand on McCoy's arm to stop him from saying anything else, and leans in toward Sa'aat. She speaks to him as quietly as she can.

**Uhura  
**(speaking in Vulcan)  
May have permission to address you, Karh-Lan (3) Sa'aat -- ?

Sa'aat again exhibits mild surprise and tilts his head toward Uhura in acknowledgement. _**The two speak to each other in Vulcan**_ (unless noted otherwise):

**Sa'aat  
**Permission is granted.  
(a statement of fact)  
You recognize my rank.

**Uhura  
**Although you wear no uniform, sir, I noted your braid the moment we first met you at the dock. It's usually reserved for the highest-ranking officers of the Vulcan Military, isn't it? And the ornamentation denotes your skill at K'a'sum'i (4) -- the Vulcan martial art form.

**Sa'aat  
**You speak my language and know our customs surprisingly well. Perhaps not all of Star Fleet's personnel are woefully under-educated after all.

Uhura looks insulted but says nothing.

**Sa'aat  
**Who are you again?

**Uhura  
**Lieutenant Nyotah Uhura. I am a communications specialist and xenolinguist aboard the Federation starship _USS Enterprise_…  
(after a short pause)  
Now, the other Human doesn't know what I am saying to you, Kahr-Lan Sa'aat, so you will not be dishonored in his eyes when I tell you -- that I find your tone and your attitude thoroughly offensive.

**Sa'aat  
**(in English)  
Fascinating --

**McCoy  
**What did she say?

Sa'aat ignores McCoy, and _**Uhura continues in Vulcan **__**as does Sa'aat**__._

**Uhura  
**We Humans may sometimes be excused our ill manners; we are, after all, the younger species and have much to learn. But I was under the impression that Vulcans were more advanced, more matured, and above sarcasm and belligerent pettiness.

**Sa'aat  
**We are -- as a whole. But lately planetary matters, duties and… other issues… have distracted some of us from our better selves. I very much beg your pardon.

**Uhura  
**Thank you.

_**The conversation switches to Federation Standard (English):**_

**Sa'aat  
**Uhura… Sarek mentioned an "Uhura". You are the Human female that has attached herself to Spock, are you not?

**Uhura  
**Spock and I are a couple, yes.

**Sa'aat  
**"A couple"? You are not promised to him; you are not his ko-kugalsu (5). There has been no bonding. No wedding.

**Uhura  
**Technically, no. But we do have a relationship.

**Sa'aat  
**Not among the Vulcan people, you do not. The Ministry will never recognize a union which is so… casual… in its nature. You may engage in guv-tvi-rivak (6) with Spock, but you are not "a couple".

**McCoy  
**What does that mean? "Guv-tvi-rivak"?

**Uhura  
**(in Vulcan to Sa'aat)  
Again, I don't like your tone -- or what you are inferring.

**Sa'aat  
**(in English)  
What you like is immaterial. I merely state facts in order to clarify your status in my own mind. It is choices like these -- taking on a female in such a manner -- which adds to the impression among the Ministers that Spock is a radical whose rebelliousness is seemingly irrepressible.

**McCoy  
**Spock a "radical"? That's a laugh. He's probably the most "conforming" man I know.

**Sa'aat  
**(answering McCoy, but looking at Uhura)  
Quite the contrary; it seems to be in Spock's nature to consistently challenge traditional beliefs and holdings, and defy authority when he feels he is in the right. You, of course, heard how he entered your Star Fleet -- ?

**McCoy  
**I thought he just enlisted -- like everyone else.

**Sa'aat  
**(answering McCoy, but looking at Uhura)  
He enlisted in defiance of the then-seated Vulcan Ministry. No one of Spock's breeding had ever before been offered a situation within the Vulcan Science Academy.

**McCoy  
**Spock's "breeding"? You mean because he had a Human for a mother -- For all their professed "logic" is still amazes me how bigoted some Vulcans are when it comes to Humans.

Sa'aat continues to ignore McCoy and does not respond.

**McCoy  
**You know, you can ignore me all you want, Sa'aat, but I'm just going to keep talking to you anyway…

Sa'aat looks at McCoy, and takes in then exhales one long breath as though he is trying to keep himself calm.

**Sa'aat  
**(to McCoy)  
Quite frankly…  
(looking back at Uhura)  
…the Ministers were against his inclusion altogether, but Spock so excelled in his studies, and so quickly advanced through his schooling that they could not, in all logic, ignore his achievements. And they dared not deny him entry into the Academy when he applied there lest they look like fools… On the day he was to be inducted, the Ministers all stood before him, praised his accomplishments, spoke to him of his flawless record, and generously offered him entry into the Vulcan Science Academy. And after working so hard to attain their acknowledgement of his skills and value, Spock thanked them… then promptly handed their offer of admission directly back to them, turned on his heel, walked out of the hall, and entered Star Fleet.

**McCoy  
**(more to himself than the others, bemused)  
Way to go, Spock -- !

**Sa'aat  
**(ignoring McCoy's outburst, to Uhura)  
His was an act of passive rebellion the likes of which Vulcan had not seen in decades. No Vulcan in the history of the Academy had ever refused admission. And, certainly, no one had ever thanked the Ministers with one breath and then "spat" at them with the next… The entire planet was in an uproar over him. Some wanted him banished from Vulcan altogether, labeled an emotionally uncontrollable vrekasht7; others had nothing but praise for him and his uniquely well-developed sense of Self.

**Uhura  
**…He's never mentioned any of this to me.

**Sa'aat  
**It is not the Vulcan way: to bring attention to oneself in such a manner. But whether he invites it or not, or speaks to it or not, Spock seems always to be at the heart many debates on our world. As young as he is, he is already something of a "legend" among our people. To those who esteem him, Spock is the embodiment of the best attributes of both Humans and Vulcans: intelligence, strength, logic, harmony, passion, and tenacity of spirit. But to those who scorn him, he is an upstart "half-breed" who does not know his place. At times, it is dangerous for him to be among his own people…

**McCoy  
**Is that what happened to Spock Prime? Something sudden and "dangerous" from his own people?

**Sa'aat  
**An astute observation. However, I am not at liberty to discuss the issue.

**McCoy  
**Well, look at that. You're actually speaking directly to me.

Sa'aat's eyebrows arch in reaction to the humor and sarcasm in McCoy's tone.

**Uhura  
**(to Sa'aat, concerned)  
Is Spock in danger now?

**Sa'aat  
**That will depend entirely on his response to the Ministry this day, I suspect.

**Uhura  
**And are you one who scorns him, or who esteems him?

**Sa'aat  
**You seek to discover if I am an ally. "Know your enemy…" That is the teaching of one your great ancient military leaders, is it not?

**Uhura  
**If what you say is true, then Spock needs all the friends he can get right now… I want to know where you stand.

**Sa'aat  
**I have known his family for quite some time, and am something of… what Humans would call a "distant cousin" of his father Sarek. More than that, however, we have a history, Spock and I. I was his Osavensular T'Guv (8) when he was younger. Do you understand that term?

**Uhura  
**Yes. But I didn't know Spock had one.

**McCoy  
**What is it - ?

**Sa'aat  
**(directed toward Uhura)  
Must we spend the entire afternoon with a vocabulary lesson?

**Uhura  
**(to McCoy)  
I'll explain it to you later…  
(to Sa'aat)  
It's a long way from a Osavensular T'Guv to a K'a'sum'i-trained Kahr-Lan of the Vulcan Military…

**Sa'aat  
**A very long way, indeed… What you see before you is a result of years of… "adaptation".

**McCoy  
**Yeah, well, that's interesting and everything… and we'd just love to hear all about your life story, but right now we're more concerned about Spock.

**Sa'aat  
**(to Uhura)  
Is he always like this?

**Uhura  
**Pretty much, yes -- But we are concerned about Spock. You may not be aware of this, but we haven't seen him since yesterday just after we arrived, after you escorted him away. No one will tell us what's happened to him or what's going on here…

**McCoy  
**Which is all a real polite way of saying: We want to know where Spock is, and we want to know now.

**Sa'aat  
**I understand your consternation; and it is not entirely misplaced. This appearance today in front of the Ministers may prove difficult for Spock. For his sake, and yours, let us hope that he is less inclined to rebellion today than he is to compliance.

**Uhura  
**What do you mean?

**Sa'aat  
**In the aftermath of the acts of the war criminal Nero of Romulus, Spock, like all mature Vulcan males, has been called before the Ministers in response to a newly enacted edict labeled the "Ek'tevan (9) Prerogative". It is meant to address our status as an endangered species, and to set forth new laws associated with the reestablishment of the Vulcan race. Spock was informed of the conditions of the edict after he left you, and has been given time to contemplate how he should best respond to them. He will be standing before the Ministers with his answer any moment now.

**Uhura  
**What are the conditions of the edict?

**Sa'aat  
**They are basically three-fold, and --

Sa'aat is interrupted by the entry of the Ministers into the chamber; their arrival heralded by bells and chimes. Sa'aat speaks to both McCoy and Uhura:

**Sa'aat  
**No matter what happens, be silent. Do not interrupt. And do not leave this space.  
(he points to the masked soldiers)  
The guards take their profession very seriously.

Before McCoy or Uhura can respond or ask any more questions, Sa'aat turns away and heads toward the front of the cathedral.

**Interior: Ministry Cathedral, Formal Chamber, Front Dais **

Along with Sa'aat, all of the other Vulcans on the floor also head toward the front of the chamber, and remaining standing, even as the Ministers take their seats.

The Ministers are all elder Vulcans, two males and four females. All of the Ministers are dressed in the formal robes of their station. One of the males is **Sarek**, Spock's father, and the other is a man named **Semuk**. Semuk is stocky, like a brick wall, and has the sharp features of a bird of prey. Among the females is **T'Pau**, a clanswoman to Sarek who stands apart from him at the moment. Despite her advanced age, she is focused, physically strong, and brilliant. The other females are lesser matriarchs: **T'Pessmar**, **Ne'Milk**, and **Teylon**. Although T'Pau is the eldest of the group, she allows Semuk to take the lead in the proceedings. After the other Ministers are settled, Semuk makes a formal announcement. _**(Everyone speaks in Vulcan -- except the Humans.)**_

**Semuk  
**All attend.

The chamber goes silent.

**Semuk  
**In this Formal Chamber of the Transitional Council of Ministers of New Vulcan we call before us the citizen Spock, son of Sarek of Vulcan, to answer to the Ek'tevan Prerogative.

From a side entrance, **Spock** enters the room. He is wearing his Star Fleet uniform; and comes to silent attention before the Ministers in front of the dais, standing in front of the tables. Sa'aat moves up quietly near him, but the two men do not engage each other in any way. Spock stands with his hands folded behind his back and waits for the Ministers to address him before he speaks. Semuk leans forward in his chair and addresses Spock first.

**Semuk  
**Spock, were you not provided with suitable Vulcan attire?

In his seat, Sarek shifts slightly as though he is bracing himself against a fight or a blow, but otherwise he contains his feelings. Spock's eyes go to his father, then back to Semuk. He remains calm and composed.

**Spock  
**Local clothing was provided to me, Minister. Thank you. However, as no edict has been passed to countermand my personal decisions regarding attire, I decided to wear clothing of my own choosing.

**Semuk  
**Considering the fact that you rejected the former Ministry's offer of inclusion in the Vulcan Science Academy for a position in Star Fleet, and now come before us in the uniform of a Star Fleet officer, one might come to the conclusion that your choice was meant as an insult to this body.

**Spock  
**That was not my intention, Minister.

**Interior: Transitional Council Cathedral, Formal Chamber, Back Seating Area**

McCoy is leaning in close to Uhura and whispers in her ear. _(The Humans speak English.)_

**McCoy  
**What are they talking about?

**Uhura  
**Spock's uniform. Apparently, they're taking offense to the fact that he's not dressed in clothes they set out for him.

**McCoy  
**Well, that doesn't bode well, does it?

One of the masked soldiers takes a few steps in McCoy's direction and brandishes the lirpa. McCoy puts a hand up and waves the soldier away.

**McCoy  
**Okay, okay… Sorry… I'll be quiet.

The soldier backs off.

**Interior: Transitional Council Cathedral, Formal Chamber, Front Dais **

Semuk sits back in his chair and T'Pau leans forward. Spock remains standing still, but his eyes leave Semuk and turn to T'Pau. _(The Vulcans all continue to speak exclusively in their own language.)_

**T'Pau  
**Spock, son of Sarek, you have read the aforementioned edict in its entirety, have you not?

**Spock  
**I have, Minister T'Pau.

**T'Pau  
**And what is your understanding of the edict?

**Spock  
**The Ek'tevan Prerogative seeks to establish new laws for the Vulcan citizenry as regards the reproductive rights of the mature male portion of the population. To wit, all Vulcan males who are of age and healthy enough for reproduction are ordered to surrender both a sa-nei-masu (10) and blood sample to the State in order to establish a new and comprehensive genetic materials bank. Second, the males are directed to submit to a chemically induced plak-tau (11) in order to facilitate the impregnation of one or more Vulcan females and to ensure the rapid reestablishment of the Vulcan race. Third, all Vulcans, male or female, are from the date of the issuance of the edict forward, permitted to marry and mate with only other Vulcans; this, in order to guarantee the integrity of the Vulcan gene pool.

**Interior: Transitional Council Cathedral, Formal Chamber, Back Seating Area**

Uhura slides to the edge of the pew and covers her mouth in shock. McCoy looks very concerned, and leans in to her, trying to read her face. He wants to ask her what's happening, but he glances at the armed soldiers, and keeps silent instead.

**Interior: Transitional Council Cathedral, Formal Chamber, Front Dais **

T'Pau seems pleased with Spock's stated understanding of the edict.

**T'Pau  
**Your interpretation is generally accurate. However, the Ek'tevan Prerogative does not SEEK to establish new laws; it IS the new law. And so, accepting that this edict is now law and is not up for debate, you are hereby given the opportunity to stand before this Transitional Council and to enter into the permanent record your acceptance of the new laws and your promise of fulfillment of your duties as a citizen of New Vulcan. What say you?

**Spock  
**As my blood type is rare, Ministers, I may submit to the surrendering of my blood for use by the State --

Semuk looks over to T'Pau and the two seem pleased.

**Spock  
**However --

Semuk and T'Pau turn their attention back to Spock, each with an eyebrow raised. In his chair, Sarek swallows, but says nothing.

**Spock  
**I refuse to submit to a chemically induced plak-tau and I will not allow my genetic material to be made available for reproductive purposes by the general populace as outlined in the Prerogative. I will not allow the State to decide who will bear my offspring. Further, I will not comply with any edict that seeks to dictate to me whom I shall or shall not wed.

The room fills with muffled gasps and murmurings. The Vulcans all seem to be struggling to contain themselves. Spock remains standing still, his hands behind his back.

**Interior: Transitional Council Cathedral, Formal Chamber, Back Seating Area**

Uhura has tears brimming in her eyes. McCoy looks desperately at her for answers.

**McCoy  
**(whispering)  
What the hell is happening?

**Uhura  
**They're asking him to --

One of the soldiers steps directly forward and lowers the blade end of his lirpa at Uhura. She stops speaking. Reluctantly, the soldier returns his weapon to its upright position, but he does not step back this time. McCoy puts a protective arm around Uhura's shoulders and glowers at the soldier.

**Interior: Transitional Council Cathedral, Formal Chamber, Front Dais **

The Ministers allow the noise in the hall to continue for a few moments, then T'Pau intervenes and demands silence.

**T'Pau  
**Hizhuk!

Everyone in the gallery goes immediately silent, and T'Pau focuses her gaze steadily on Spock. But it is Semuk who speaks next:

**Semuk  
**Before her death, you were bonded to T'Pring were you not?

**Spock  
**You know well that I was, Minister.

**Semuk**

That marriage was pre-arranged for you; "dictated" to you, if you wish. Why do you balk over the dictation of a mate now?

**Spock  
**(bowing slightly to T'Pau)  
Although I grieve with thee at the loss of your adopted child, Minister T'Pau, and although I had every intention of following through with the pre-arranged marriage, as my father wished it so…  
(to Semuk)  
…my bonding with T'Pring is no longer an issue and so poses no obstacle to my own choice of a mate. I am now free to choose whomever I please; and as an unattached, free Vulcan male, I choose not to allow the State to curtail my options.

T'Pau's face is calm but her eyes burn. Through tight lips she speaks to Spock.

**T'Pau  
**Spock. Dissention is not an option. The law is the law.

**Spock  
**I recognize the Ministry's stance in the matter; however, I will not comply.

**T'Pau  
**Then you will be found in violation --

**Spock  
**I understand.

**T'Pau  
**-- An arrest will follow.

**Spock  
**If I am to be arrested, then I demand that legal representation be made available to me in order that I might --

**Semuk  
**Since you have stated before this authoritative body your willful refusal to comply with the law, Spock, your request for legal representation on the matter is summarily denied. You have already pronounced yourself guilty.

**Sarek  
**Spock.

Spock remains standing still, but his eyes go to his father.

**Sarek  
**If you refuse to comply with the Ministry's demands, you must understand that the biological samples will be compulsorily removed and the plak-tau will be forced upon you.

**Spock  
**You would steal from me that which I will not willingly surrender, Father?

**Sarek  
**I do not wish this process to be… forcibly imposed upon you.

**Spock  
**But you will allow the State to rape me if I refuse to lie down.

**Semuk  
**Your flair for the melodramatic is well known to us, Spock. There is no "rape" in the conditions of the edict.

Spock turns his attention back to Semuk.

**Spock  
**No? You wish to invade my body and force sa-nei-masu from me against my will, and then have me rendered chemically incapable of denying consent to mate with females who are not of my choosing. If that is not rape, what do you call it, Minister?

**Semuk  
**The law.

**Spock  
**Then the law in itself is a violation.

**Semuk  
**Every other capable male in this chamber has complied with that law, Spock. It is only you who stands against it.

**Spock  
**Surely, you are not suggesting that simply because others have submitted to this pronouncement that I must submit as well, Minister. "Everyone else does it" is an argument used by Human children.

**Semuk  
**How dare you --

Before Spock can reply to Semuk, Sarek rises from his chair and addresses Spock. He chooses his words very carefully.

**Sarek  
**Spock. In the face of extinction, the Ek'tevan Prerogative was put into place to provisionally forestall any further deterioration of the Vulcan race and to encourage an influx of new births. In order to revive our population, reproduction is --

**Spock  
**Reproduction can be achieved through artificial insemination and consent of the individuals involved. Survival of our species cannot be dependent on the rape of the males of Vulcan, Father.

**Semuk  
**Stop using that word.

**Spock  
**The word is accurate, is it not?

**Sarek  
**Spock -- This is not a permanent condition. As the Ministry sees it, the surrender by edict of the reproductive rights of the males of Vulcan is a temporary solution to a short-term but immediate problem.

**Spock  
**Is that your best argument, Father? That this debasement is transitory?

**T'Pau  
**In this fragile transitional period wherein the Vulcan people seek to recuperate from the genocide imposed upon us by Nero of Romulus and to reorganize ourselves into a cohesive and authoritative planetary body once more, power was freely given to this Council, Spock, by the existing population of New Vulcan to establish whatever laws it saw best to enact. Just as jurisdictions on other worlds and in other times have imposed laws to curtail reproduction when it was necessary to safeguard the planetary whole, this Council imposes laws to increase reproduction to do likewise. We hold that our species needs to procreate as rapidly as possible in order to ensure our survival, and the edict will ensure that. It was, therefore, a practical and wholly logical response to an unnatural predicament.

**Spock  
**I beg to differ, Minister. It seems clear to me that this edict as it stands was not made with dispassion, or wisdom, or consideration of its long-term impact on the males of Vulcan. Logic did not prevail in this instance; rather, your response seems to be little more than a product of desperation and blatant aggression by the State against its citizenry.

The noise level starts to rise in the room again and T'Pau puts a hand up, ordering silence. When everyone is more controlled, she continues speaking.

**T'Pau  
**This debate is futile. No mature Vulcan male may refuse this edict, Spock.

**Spock  
**As you are often wont to point out, Minister T'Pau: I am not entirely Vulcan. I am half-Human.

**T'Pau  
**Irrelevant.

**Semuk  
**There are no exceptions.

**Spock  
**(more determined)  
Then may I point out the illogic of an edict which on the one hand seeks to create a "pure" Vulcan blood line by disallowing mix-species marriage, but then on the other hand demands that a hybrid such as myself mate with pure-blooded Vulcans in order to perpetuate the species.

**T'Pau  
**Did you truly believe, Spock, that we did not take your particular situation into consideration before we called you to stand before us? Your physiology is predominantly Vulcan. The trace Human elements will be removed from your donations and from any ensuing fetuses which may result from your plak-tau. The Vulcan essence will be made pure.

**Spock  
**Your statements presuppose that I will comply with the edict. I state, again: I will "donate" nothing.

**Sarek  
**Spock --

**Spock  
**This is unacceptable, Father.

**T'Pau  
**Your refusal is unacceptable -- and immaterial. You will comply.

**Spock  
**I will not.

The noise level in room starts to rise once more, and T'Pau puts a hand up once again, demanding silence. When everyone has once more settled down, she continues to Spock:

**T'Pau  
**There will be no further discussion. The edict stands as it is written. Do you wish your answer on the record to stand as "noncompliant", Spock?

**Spock  
**Any genetic material you are able to wrest from me will be against my will and without my consent.

**T'Pau  
**So be it.  
(announcing to the room)  
Let the record show that the citizen Spock, son of Sarek, has openly and with full knowledge of the consequences of his response, refused to obey the laws of New Vulcan as stated in the Ek'tevan Prerogative. The Transitional Council therefore has no option but to place Spock under arrest, and to have him confined until such a time as the genetic samplings can be procured and he can be made ready for the inducement of a plak-tau.  
(to Sa'aat)  
Kahr-Lan Sa'aat.

Sa'aat steps up directly behind Spock. Spock knows he is there, but does not look at him. He is looking at his father, who looks stoically back at him.

**T'Pau  
**Place this citizen under arrest.

Sa'aat takes Spock by the upper arm and starts to draw him toward the exit. Spock resists, but stalls for a moment when Sa'aat moves in close enough to whisper very quietly against his cheek.

**Sa'aat  
**(whispering gruffly)  
Resistance at this juncture is imprudent, Spock. Come with me, and I will try to obviate any State-sanctioned intrusion upon your person.

**Spock  
**(speaking just as quietly, through his teeth)  
I have no intention of exhibiting, in any way, obedience to this edict. You may arrest me, Sa'aat, but I will resist you.

Spock pulls his arm from Sa'aat's grasp, and the two men start to grapple. As soon as the fight starts, some of the masked soldiers from the back of the cathedral rush forward to assist Sa'aat. Although Spock is fighting with everything he has, Sa'aat seems to be careful not to mark Spock or inflict any lasting damage. When Sa'aat realizes the other soldiers are closing in, however, he steps forward and delivers several sudden blows with the K'a'sum'i technique that stun Spock and drop him to his knees.

Sarek looks concerned by the violence but does not step away from his chair or leave the dais.

Sa'aat orders the solders to back off, and they -- somewhat reluctantly -- comply with his command. Some look at T'Pau waiting to see if she will countermand Sa'aat. She does not. Sa'aat steps in close to Spock again. Taking hold of Spock's torso and lifting him up onto his feet, Sa'aat again whispers against Spock's skin.

**Sa'aat  
**Do not force me into the position of having to injure you further, Spock. Endure… and survive.

Breathing hard and still stunned, Spock is unable to resist and is lead out of the formal chamber by Sa'aat. After a hand-signal from T'Pau, the masked soldiers follow the general.

**Interior: Transitional Council Cathedral, Formal Chamber, Back Seating Area**

Uhura jumps up out of the pew, and rushes to the exit nearest her. McCoy hurries after her.

**McCoy  
**What the hell just happened?! Uhura!

**Interior: Transitional Council Cathedral on New Vulcan, Hallway**

With McCoy right behind her, Uhura rushes through the hallway down to where Sa'aat, Spock and the soldiers are exiting the cathedral's formal chamber. ((We can **hear** the rumble of continued conversation inside the hall, and T'Pau calling for order in Vulcan.)) Spock is still stunned and unsteady on his feet, and Sa'aat is holding him in a firm grip to keep him from toppling to the floor.

**Uhura  
**Spock!

Spock lifts his head and looks in her general direction but doesn't seem to be able to focus his eyes on her. As Sa'aat leads Spock away, the masked soldiers form a line that blocks the hallway and doesn't permit Uhura or McCoy to pass.

**Uhura  
**Spock!!

The soldiers are unmoving, and McCoy draws Uhura away from them. Leading the reluctant Uhura quickly down the hallway, McCoy flips open his communicator as he walks.

**McCoy  
**I'm hailing the _Enterprise_ … and then you can explain to both the captain and me exactly what just happened here.

* * *

**1** Star Trek ® is a registered trademark of Paramount Pictures Corporation.

**2** Lirpa: A Vulcan weapon built as a long shaft with a heavy cudgel at one end and a curved axe blade at the other, approximately 7 feet in overall length.

**3** Karh-lan: Vulcan word for the rank of General

**4** K'a'sum'i: a Vulcan martial arts form which focuses on deadly force

**5** Ko-kugalsu: Vulcan word for fiancée; female promised to a male in marriage

**6** Guv-tvi-rivak: The Vulcan word for fornication; sex between consenting non-married adults. [[**Author's note:** As the relationship between Sa'aat and Spock is revealed more, Sa'aat's reasons for objecting to Uhura's "attachment" to Spock will become more understandable.]]

**7** Vrekasht: Vulcan for "outcast"; usually used to designate a Vulcan who has been cast out of society because he/she is unable to control his/her emotional outbursts and is not considered "suitable" for polite company.

**8** Osavensular T'Guv: literal translation from the Vulcan it means "honored teacher of sex"; it is the title given to those enjoined to teach young Vulcans the more subtle side of sex: arousal, foreplay, sexual technique, stamina, self-gratification, etc. Males generally teach males and females generally teach females. [[**Author's Note:** This position is not part of Trek canon; it is something I made up for this story. It is based on similar teachers in ancient Greek and Roman history on Earth. I assumed that since modern Vulcans repressed their emotions and sexual urges/libido, and did not engage in open discussions of sexuality, they would have to have some sort of "schooling" in sex by honored professionals in order to gain some proficiency at it. Since Vulcans also tend to put structure and ritual around such things, I created the position of the Osavensular T'Guv to answer to that precedent.]]

**9** Ek'tevan: Vulcan word for extinction

**10** Sa-nei-masu: Vulcan word for "semen"

**11** Plak-tau: the "Blood fever", that last part of the Vulcan Pon Farr mating ritual in which renders the Vulcan male incapable of conscious thought, speech or decision-making, and can only be abated through mating.


	2. Chapter 2

**The Ek'tevan Prerogative  
****By Mary K. Hanson  
**Limited Copyright © 2010

NOTE: Numbers throughout the text, such as (8), refer to end notes that provide translations, definitions, and more information to readers.

* * *

**ACT TWO:**

**Exterior: Medical Facility on New Vulcan**

The medical facility to which Spock is taken is adjacent to the Transitional Council Cathedral; it is a large oval structure that looks like a carved boulder surrounded by sandy earth and weird cactus-like vegetation. The camera pans around the structure, and then moves in closer and through a wall to show us the interior.

**Interior: Medical Facility on New Vulcan, Surgical Arena **

Inside the structure is a maze of hallways that lead to a medium-sized, white, circular room on the second floor that usually used as a surgical arena. It has been stripped of all of its furnishings, and all breakables have been locked away in cabinets that line the walls. In some places, the floor is littered with heavy blankets and pillows. Along the wall are various monitoring devices; some lit up, some dark and vacant of data. All around the perimeter of the room, near the ceiling, are large double-thick windows connected to offices and an observation deck above the room. From there, presumably, nonparticipants can watch any surgeries or other activities in the arena room below. Some of the windows seem to have a mirror finish on them so you can't see into the room on the other side; other windows appear either "frosty" or perfectly clear.

In the arena room, Spock is seated on the floor, and holds his head in his hands as he forces away the pain he is feeling and fights to regain his focus and poise. Sa'aat paces back and forth, and keeps an eye on the door and the observation windows above, as if he is waiting for someone or nervous about something. The guards and Ministers are not currently present in the room. Spock is still in his Star Fleet uniform and Sa'aat is still in the formalwear he had on before.

**Spock  
**(lifting his head slowly, wincing a bit in pain while trying to control it)  
You have acquired a new skill set since the last time I saw you.

**Sa'aat  
**Indeed --

**Spock  
**I did not expect to find you here.

**Sa'aat  
**I know.

**Spock  
**In truth, I thought I would never see you again.

**Sa'aat  
**(more quietly)  
I know.

Sa'aat continues his slow pacing around the room, and Spock follows him with his eyes. He finally seems to grow weary of waiting, and asks Sa'aat outright:

**Spock  
**Are you going to require me to ask you a catalogue of questions, Sa'aat, or are you going to explain to me what transpired and how you came to be in this place?

Sa'aat stops pacing and looks directly at Spock.

**Sa'aat  
**(almost like an entreaty)  
Would it make a difference?

**Spock  
**Clarification can often make a difference --

Sa'aat steps up to Spock and squats down in front of him. His tone of voice is almost tender, and his posture is much softer than we have seen it before. He tentatively raises a hand to touch the top of Spock's head, but then second guesses himself and withdraws it. He then raises his hand again, and reaches around to touch a spot between two of the vertebrae near the top of Spock's spine. Spock does not resist the touch. Sa'aat applies some relieving pressure on the vertebrae, and Spock winces slightly, but then seems to feel the relief from the touch almost instantly. Sa'aat removes his hand, saying quietly:

**Sa'aat  
**It was never my desire to leave you as abruptly as I did…

**Spock  
**And yet you left me anyway -- without warning, without explanation. You were more than simply my Osavensular T'Guv, Sa'aat. You were my only friend; and you knew what your friendship meant to me. You were the only Vulcan I knew who did not see my Humanity as a defect. You actually helped me to integrate my Human emotions more effectively into my Vulcan self at a time when I was most at war within my own body. But then you were gone. I thought I had done something to offend you… I thought your removal from me was a punishment by my parents for what offense I could not imagine… Then, as time grew between us and no word came from you, I assumed that you had died, but there was no body to mourn, no katra to carry to Mount Seleya…

**Sa'aat  
**My departure was necessary.

**Spock  
**How so?

**Sa'aat  
**Spock… Considering the somewhat "delicate" and personal nature of the duties of a Osavensular T'Guv, it is not uncommon for some students to… "misread" their feelings and reactions to their lessons and become enamored with their instructors…

**Spock  
**I did not misinterpret your instruction…

**Sa'aat  
**No. You did not. In our case it was not the student who erred… It was I. Surely, Spock, you must have felt or at least guessed that my feelings for you increased with every meeting. My admiration for you grew into affection, and that affection developed into love, and love into…  
(stops for a moment to contain his rising emotion)  
I was an Osavensular T'Guv who could no longer keep a practiced distance from his student.

Spock does not seem in the least bit shocked or appalled by this revelation. Rather, he seems a bit confused that Sa'aat's feelings were an issue at all. He speaks frankly.1

**Spock  
**I was aware of your feelings… and I was not repulsed them, Sa'aat. I accepted them, as you accepted me.

**Sa'aat  
**They were unprofessional, imprudent…

**Spock  
**As you were my Osavensular T'Guv, we shared much. Beyond our physical interactions, you also let me touch your mind... Your feelings for me were genuine and your intentions were always untainted. You did not seek to deceive me or to use me… I understood this. I held you no ill will and thought no less of you for it. At the time, as bereft as I was of friendship, I even welcomed your attention. If there is "fault", then some of it lies with me as well. I did nothing to rebuff you.

**Sa'aat  
**Nevertheless, my desire for you compromised my ability to maintain a professional demeanor. The sight of you, the feel of your skin, your sound, your mouth, your scent… Even the mere thought of you aroused in me passions I could not control… For an Osavensular T'Guv, such behavior is unacceptable. I informed your parents of my dilemma, and your father thought it best that I remove myself from the estate and your tutelage as quickly as possible. I agreed.

**Spock  
**Had you explained the reasons for your departure at the time, I might have followed you --

**Sa'aat  
**Would you? How different would our destinies have been then? But your father would never have allowed that, Spock. He already had you bonded to T'Pring.

**Spock  
**Yes… and I felt her death upon the destruction of our home-world…

**Sa'aat  
**We all lost much in that catastrophe. Our planet, our heritage, our families… I heard about your mother, and I grieve with thee. I know how important she was to you.

**Spock  
**Thank you.

Spock struggles briefly with the remembrances of his mother's death, and then seeks to change the subject. He and Sa'aat still speak in low-tones so as not to be overheard.

**Spock  
**Why did you not contact me in all this time?

**Sa'aat  
**Early on, your father thwarted my attempts to maintain communication with you; and then after time passed, it seemed "callous" somehow to remind you of me when nothing could be done to undo our circumstance…

**Spock  
**Where did you go?

To make himself more comfortable, Sa'aat shifts from his squatting position and sits down on the floor in front of Spock. He sits in the practiced and flexible cross-legged position of meditation he learned at the Monastery.

**Sa'aat  
**Off planet. First, as far away as I could go by shuttle, and then on from there. I was expecting that once there was time and distance between us, I could recover and reestablish my self-discipline. I was not entirely successful... I then entered the Ip-sut (2) Monastery and learned the ways of the K'a'sum'i, hoping that the isolation and discipline of the place would assist me in yearning for you less… After that, I was engaged as an…  
(stops himself and rephrases)  
I took on other duties that assured me a more solitary existence.  
(more intimately)  
You were not the only one who experienced pain and confusion at our parting, Spock. Removed from you, I was like a river without water: bleak and lifeless… Since I left you, there has been no one else: no mate, no lover, no student, no courtesan, no dalliance… No one. It has always and evermore been you. I can love no other.

**Spock  
**(in all honesty)  
If that is true, then it is a tragedy, Sa'aat, for…  
(almost apologetically)  
…I am involved with a female --

**Sa'aat  
**The Human, Uhura --

**Spock  
**Yes.

**Sa'aat  
**We have met. She seems intelligent; educated and perceptive, but is somewhat… censorious.

**Spock  
**She challenges me --

**Sa'aat  
**Yes, I can see that she might. What does your father think of her?

**Spock  
**Admittedly, although he is well aware of our situation, I have not yet broached the subject with him directly. It has always been his desire that I take a Vulcan female for a mate…

**Sa'aat  
**Only because he felt that doing so would help you to integrate more readily into Vulcan society; and because he thought it might spare your offspring the isolation and intolerance you yourself faced as a child.

**Spock  
**You paint my father with a sable brush… when iron is more his make.

**Sa'aat  
**As formidable as Sarek may seem, Spock, he always endeavors to do what he believes is best for you.

**Spock  
**(unconvinced, getting slowly to his feet)  
Such as trying to convince me to succumb to the demands of the Ek'tevan Prerogative?  
(directly to Sa'aat)  
Did they force you to comply with the edict as well?

Sa'aat rises to his feet as well, and steps in close to Spock to speak to him quietly.

**Sa'aat  
**Yes.

**Spock  
**Why did you allow it?

**Sa'aat  
**I am sa-ka-ashausu (3). I never expected to reproduce. The possibility, even though induced by proclamation, was intriguing to me…  
(deflecting the conversation from himself)  
However, it was Sarek's hope that you would have been spared compliance with the edict altogether. Since Spock Prime had filed no objection --

**Spock  
**(in disbelief)  
What?

Sa'aat takes Spock by the arm and walks him across the room to the door. There, he lifts a hand and touches the wall with his fingertips, searching beyond the door with his mind. Spock watches him intently. We surmise from Spock's expressions that he is astonished by Sa'aat's telepathic range. When the mind-sweep is completed, Sa'aat then looks around the room to see if any monitors are focused on them or if anyone is watching from the gallery above the room. Sa'aat then positions Spock against the wall by the door in such a way as to shield with his own body the view of Spock from the monitors and gallery windows, and again speaks softly:

**Sa'aat  
**Understanding what compliance with the edict would have meant to you, Spock, your father convinced Spock Prime to obey the demands of the Prerogative and submit to the sampling and plak-tau in your stead. His DNA profile was identical to your own, and once his genetic material had been willingly proffered and added to the genetics banks, there would have been no reason for the Transitional Council to enjoin you to do the same.

**Spock  
**But Spock Prime and myself were one in the same being. Why would Father's mind-set toward him be any different than it was for me?

**Sa'aat  
**Although Spock Prime was in truth an echo of yourself, Sarek did not see him as his son… In this life, in this universe you are his child; no one else.

**Spock  
**Most certainly having felt as I feel about the Prerogative, why would Spock Prime agree to sacrifice himself for my benefit?

**Sa'aat  
**Search yourself for that answer, Spock. If you were given the opportunity to spare another humiliation and distress, would you not step forward and take the burden on yourself? It is a part of your nature; it always has been… and apparently will be in the future.  
(after a short pause, continuing with his story)  
The Council, too, however, was stunned when Spock Prime agreed to comply with the edict. And he was murdered a scant two days before he was to come here to the Arena… Immediately following his death, the Transitional Council demanded that you be called to stand in his place.

**Spock  
**Your words suggest that there might have been intent in their actions. That the Council specifically wanted me to stand before them and not Spock Prime, and so had him removed in order to clear a path to me…

**Sa'aat  
**Truly so.

**Spock  
**For what purpose?

**Sa'aat  
**As you may have already surmised, despite the façades of normalcy and control, New Vulcan is a place of acute disharmony, Spock. Many survivors of the destruction of Vulcan blame the existing Ministers for failing to protect them from Nero of Romulus… The fact that he was able to single-handedly deactivate the entire protection grid around the planet and use a solitary ship to extinguish our world seemed to indicate mammoth flaws in the then existing military structure on Vulcan and a gross lack of defensive preparedness on the part of its leaders. Immediately upon our arrival on New Vulcan, factions formed, each one believing it has the answers our people need; each one attempting to gain control of the Ministry.

**Spock  
**You are describing the heralds of a civil war.

**Sa'aat  
**I am. We are a planet in turmoil… And at this moment, some of that turmoil revolves around you. Amid the factions, a new Sect has emerged. Although they call themselves the Fonn Vuhlkansu or "Loyalist Vulcans", the Ministry euphemistically refers to them as the "Spockian Sect".

Spock raises an eyebrow in astonishment.

**Sa'aat  
**This sect seeks to form stronger ties with the Federation, take Humans as mates in order to secure alliances with Earth, and preaches a less "isolationist" stance in the galaxy. In the face of this, T'Pau has aligned herself with Semuk who currently controls the majority of the military. More importantly, she is standing in open opposition to your father, Sarek, who has aligned himself with the Mystics, some of the Elders and the Fonn Vuhlkansu.

**Spock  
**But, T'Pau is our clanswoman --(4)

**Sa'aat  
**As I said…New Vulcan is a place of acute disharmony. In the past, T'Pring's bonding with you cemented a union between your family and hers… Now that T'Pring is dead and your bond is broken, T'Pau looks outside old familial ties and traditions for her connections and power.

**Spock  
**(shaking his head in disbelief)  
T'Pau followed the teachings of Surak… She labored on behalf of the Syrannite Vulcans… She has always been a woman of impeccable logic.

**Sa'aat  
**A logic which in her hands can be, and often has been, quite savage. When she has made up her mind about something, there is no debating with her. She uses her logic like a scalpel, cutting everything away that does not support her viewpoint... regardless of the damage she may cause in the process.

Spock tries to assimilate that information, as Sa'aat continues…

**Sa'aat  
**Semuk and T'Pau were counting on your disobedience to the edict in order to create havoc in the Ministry chamber, and force your father into action to protect you… It was their hope that if he openly objected to the Ek'tevan Prerogative, or sought to have you spared the consequences of it, he could be labeled a traitor and removed from office. Once his influence on the Council was diminished in this way, T'Pau and Semuk could take full control…

**Spock  
**(suddenly understanding)  
But Father does not protect me… and so their plan is in disruption.

**Sa'aat  
**Precisely. Your father continues to frustrate their actions by playing the "mediator", although that is not his true position. He, like Semuk and T'Pau, also seeks to lead… He has a contingent of followers spread out throughout New Vulcan and the surrounding systems. Unfortunately, although word has gone out calling his people to gather as quickly as possible, he cannot yet directly confront T'Pau and her allegiance. It is his hope to have the numbers needed within the city walls by dusk tomorrow… But T'Pau senses that something is coming, and keeps pushing the time table forward. It was she who forced your meeting with the Ministry this morning and even now is escalating her attacks upon you. It is her hope that the more firmly she pushes against you, the more likely it will be that Sarek will fold in an effort to defend you.

**Spock  
**So I am a pawn in a clan war.

**Sa'aat  
**It is not what I would have wished --

**Spock  
**And yet here we are…  
(after a moment for thought)  
Can you get word to my father? Let him know that I understand his motivations and request that he not abandon his position in order to shield me.

**Sa'aat  
**I can, but, Spock, you --

Sa'aat puts a hand up and scowls slightly. He tilts his head in the direction of the door as though listening, or seeing something beyond the wall and door in his mind.

**Sa'aat  
**The solders are coming. T'Pau is with them…

Spock again looks somewhat surprised by Sa'aat's ability.

**Spock  
**Was this improved talent for "reading" acquired at the Monastery?

**Sa'aat  
**No … (5)  
(frankly)  
I do not know that I can safeguard you from them, Spock.

**Spock  
**I expect and demand nothing from you. You must do as you must -- as must I.

**Interior: Medical Facility on New Vulcan, Second Floor Hallway**

McCoy and Uhura continue to seek a way to get to Spock, but they are not having much luck. Most doors are locked and the corridors are laid out in a confusing maze. The Humans seem to running in circles. McCoy stops beside an unmarked grey door to try to reorient himself, and Uhura comes to a nearly breathless standstill beside him.

**McCoy  
**Haven't we been this way before?

**Uhura  
**I'm not sure… All the corridors look the same to me, and nothing seems to be marked.

**McCoy  
**Vulcans don't believe in street signs?

**Uhura  
**Vulcans are smart enough to remember where everything is and how to get there without signs and directories. Their buildings are like their brains… everything in layers around a central core. All we have to do is find the core and we can find everything else.

**McCoy  
**Easier said than done… How did we get on this level anyway? What happened to our elevator?

Uhura points to a door at the end of the current hallway.

**Uhura  
**Let's try this way…

**Interior: Medical Facility on New Vulcan, Surgical Arena **

Sa'aat steps away from the wall as the door to the arena room opens. T'Pau enters with a small phalanx of soldiers behind her. She carries a ceremonial box in her hands. Once she and the soldiers are in the room and door is secured behind them, she comes to a halt, looking very regal; her head high, her shoulders squared. The soldiers line up in a half-circle behind her.

T'Pau then transfers the box to one hand and balances it there while she touches a finger to the top of the box with the opposite hand. The lid opens of its own accord and she reaches inside the box. She removes from it a palm-sized medical device. The device is somewhat rectangular and has phials attached to the long sides of it. On the top of it are various syringe-like attachments and what looks like a small cone-shaped tool. T'Pau holds the box out to the nearest solider, who takes it from her reverently with both hands. Holding the medical device in her hand, T'Pau focuses on Spock.

**T'Pau  
**Spock. By the power conferred to me by the citizens of New Vulcan, as High Minister of the Transitional Council I am here to compel your compliance with the Ek'tevan Prerogative.

Spock steps back further into the room to distance himself from everyone and stand resolute in his refusal to comply with the edict. Although Sa'aat does not approach T'Pau or try to impede her in any way, he bows slightly toward her and speaks respectfully:

**Sa'aat  
**Minister. Perhaps with more time, I can convince this citizen to --

**T'Pau  
**There will be no further discussion of the issue, Kahr-Lan Sa'aat. A verdict has been rendered. The citizen Spock will now provide the State with samples of his sa-nei-masu and blood.

**Spock  
**I will not.

**T'Pau  
**Your continued objections are irrational, Spock. You WILL comply with the demands of the edict, with or without your spoken consent.

**Spock  
**Without, then, I should think, Minister.

**T'Pau  
**So be it.

T'Pau then gestures to the soldiers to step forward. All but the one holding the box do so. Across the room, Spock braces himself for an attack. With a single gesture, T'Pau releases the soldiers and they descend on Spock en masse. Sa'aat stays where he is and watches the mêlée, fighting to disguise his concern about Spock's safety. Spock struggles against the soldiers, continuing to voice his objections, but is grossly outnumbered. A mix of martial arts and street fighting, the brawl continues across the room until Spock is held between two of the soldiers while a third raises a hand to strike Spock directly in the face.

There is suddenly **a brilliant flash** in the room, and the guard with his arm raised drops to the floor unconscious.

The camera turns to show us Sa'aat with a Vulcan phaser in hand. The other soldiers do not know what to do, and look to T'Pau. T'Pau hides her astonishment well, and puts up a hand that commands the soldiers to stop and stay where they are.

Sa'aat lowers the weapon and steps up firmly in front of T'Pau; chest forward, head raised as though he intends to challenge her directly. She gives him a slow, measured look, showing no fear or trepidation over the fact that he is armed and she is not.

**T'Pau  
**You shield your mind from me, Kahr-Lan Sa'aat.

**Sa'aat  
**I shield my mind from the guards so they cannot interfere with me or anticipate my actions. The blocking of you, Minister, is simply a side effect.  
(shows her the phaser)  
The weapon is on the stun setting. I wish no one any permanent injury.

**T'Pau  
**I see… But you do now seek to object to the enforcement of the law?

**Sa'aat  
**No, Minister. However, I am compelled to point out that the brutality of your current choice of enforcement is unnecessary. I respectfully submit that if others see Spock torn and beaten, you only make him seem more the victim and the martyr. I can attain the samples you seek without resorting to the violence which may only prove to enforce the belief, in the eyes of your adversaries, that the State is perpetrating a rape upon this citizen.

T'Pau stands silent for a moment then looks past Sa'aat to the soldiers.

**T'Pau  
**Pehkaya (6) -- !

The soldiers release Spock. Spock takes several steps back to put some distance between himself and the soldiers. One of the soldiers drags his unconscious fellow over to a wall where he is out of the way.

T'Pau somewhat reluctantly hands the medical device out to Sa'aat. He takes the device and walks with it over to where Spock is standing. Spock is breathing hard, and there is green blood trickling from a shallow gash in his forehead above his right eye. Bruises are already starting to show on the orbit around that eye.

**Spock  
**(standing firm, breathing hard)  
I…do NOT…give you…permission…

**Sa'aat  
**I know.

Sa'aat levels the phaser directly at Spock and fires. The blast knocks Spock backwards and he slumps to the floor unconscious. As soon as Spock is down, Sa'aat goes to him, pockets the phaser, and selects a tip on the medical device that looks like a multi-pronged needle. He lifts one of Spock's limp arms and presses the device against Spock's wrist. The device gives out a low fizzing sound, and we can see Spock's green blood fill the phial on one side of the device.

Sa'aat then kneels down beside Spock. He pauses for a moment as though considering what he is doing, then reaches to the top of Spock's Federation issued slacks, unbuttons the fastener at the waist and unzips the slacks.

The camera focuses on Spock's head and torso as Sa'aat secures the sa-nei-masu sample from him. Although he is unconscious, Spock's body convulses slightly at the contact of the medical device. We hear an electrical "snapping" sound, and then a rhythmic pumping noise. Spock starts to breathe heavily. The heavy breaths increase to more rapid "chuffing"7 as the mechanism stimulates him to climax. With a final groan, the sa-nei-masu sample is secured.

Sa'aat carefully folds Spock's pants closed again, and gets to his feet. He turns back to T'Pau to show her that the samples were acquired.

**Sa'aat  
**Blood and sa-nei-masu, as required by the edict, Minister.

T'Pau seems pleased with this, and turns to the soldier who is still holding the box. With a gesture, she indicates to the soldier that he join Sa'aat.

When the solider nears him, Sa'aat sets the medical device with its samples into the box, and then removes from the box another type of syringe. It is about seven-inches long, narrow, glass-like with a silvery casing, and has a multi-toothed air-injection needle at one end of it. It is filled with a pale yellow fluid. Sa'aat palms it in one hand and holds it out for T'Pau to see.

**T'Pau  
**With the genetic materials having been legally collected, the citizen Spock will now undergo the chemically induced plak-tau required by statute under the Ek'tevan Prerogative. Kahr-Lan Sa'aat, at his own behest, will administer the catalyst.

Sa'aat turns back to Spock and leans down over him. He uses his free hand to push Spock's head down and forward, revealing the back and nape of Spock's neck. Before he continues, Sa'aat places his mouth against Spock's head and whispers:

**Sa'aat  
**Forgive me --

Spock is still unconscious and cannot respond. Sa'aat places the long syringe against the back of Spock's neck near the base of his skull and injects the catalyzing agent. The syringe hisses, and Spock's body trembles slightly as the agent starts to circulate through his body.

**T'Pau  
**The catalyst will take several minutes to fully stimulate the plak-tau effect. I want him made ready for the selected females before that time.

**Sa'aat  
**Understood.

Sa'aat hands the now-emptied syringe to the soldier with the box, and all of the soldiers exit the room, dragging their still unconscious companion along with them. T'Pau herself heads toward the door, but lingers for a moment before exiting. She turns to Sa'aat and addresses him:

**T'Pau  
**I am aware of your "attachment" to this citizen, Kahr-Lan Sa'aat. And I recognize your efforts to keep him from injury during this process.

**Sa'aat  
**One cannot contradict the truth of your observations, Minister.

**T'Pau  
**Then I must admit that I do not understand your willingness to assist us in this action.

**Sa'aat  
**I do what I believe is most logical. Engaging in a battle of wills at this time serves no purpose. It can only result in damage to Spock, more rancor between the Sects, and a further division of the population as a whole. I do only what I believe best serves New Vulcan and its people…

**T'Pau  
**(not wholly convinced despite what she is saying)  
Well stated. I had initially thought it unwise for Semuk to present you with the rank and honors he did upon your arrival to New Vulcan, but I now the see some of the clarity in his decision-making. You follow orders. You recognize the chain of command. You are selective in your engagements with a perceived enemy. All are the hallmarks of a good soldier…

Sa'aat says nothing, and simply bows to the perceived compliment.

**T'Pau  
**When our positions are fully established and the Ministry is once more under our sole control, we will remember you, Sa'aat. Perhaps we can even see to it that Spock falls under your permanent personal custody.

**Sa'aat  
**(bowing a little more deeply)  
Thank you, Minister T'Pau.

T'Pau turns to leave, but stops once more and looks back at Spock's body on the floor. She then looks at Sa'aat.

**T'Pau  
**I want that Federation uniform destroyed.

**Sa'aat  
**Yes, Minister.

T'Pau then exits the room, and Sa'aat turns back to Spock. Spock is lying on his side and is starting to shudder from the effects of the chemical inducement. Sa'aat looks around the room then closes his eyes and "scans" the nearby area with his mind. He opens his eyes again, kneels down next to Spock, and carefully starts removing Spock's clothing.

**Interior: Medical Facility on New Vulcan, First Floor Hallway**

T'Pau, now without her contingent of soldiers, walks through the corridor until she comes to what initially looks like a large vacant area along the wall. There is some rectangular ribbing on the wall that, at first glance, simply looks like decoration. T'Pau presses her fingertips into the wall and a door appears, now outlined by the ribbing, that slides open to reveal a large turbolift elevator car. She enters the turbolift, and then holds the door open with one hand until Semuk, coming toward her down the hall, reaches her. He enters the elevator with her.

**Interior: Medical Facility on New Vulcan, First Floor Hallway, Main Turbolift**

The turbolift door closes, and T'Pau speaks to the elevator control module:

**T'Pau  
**Lower Level Four.

**Elevator (Male Mechanical Voice Over)  
**Neh-neik vok kehkuh (8)

The turbolift starts to move down into the lower levels of the building. As it moves, Semuk turns to T'Pau and speaks.

**Semuk  
**How goes all?

**T'Pau  
**We proceed forward with alacrity. I am, at this moment, going to secure the females for Spock's plak-tau, and will have them upon him within the quarter hour. I admit, the number of females willing to mate with him surprises me. T'Pring, although bonded to him, was planning to reject him at his next Pon Farr… His first Pon Farr, as I understand it. He has not gone through one yet.

**Semuk  
**That is atypical for his age…

**T'Pau  
**It is the Human in him. It despoils the draw of his Vulcan blood.

**Semuk  
**Is he fertile? (9)

**T'Pau  
**The induced plak-tau will deceive his body into believing he is going through a Pon Farr, so fertility will be initiated. We have seen this in other males, as well…

**Semuk  
**Tell me again why we want that… "ulef kosh-ves" (10) …to reproduce at all.

**T'Pau  
**Bringing those of Spock's blood into our fold will provide us with leverage in the future, should we need it.

**Semuk  
**You think always several steps ahead.

**T'Pau  
**It is wise to do so…

**Semuk  
**How many of the willing females have you chosen?

**T'Pau  
**Five at the moment. That is an unusually high number, I admit, but several of the younger ones have just come into cycle, and it would be a pity to allow such an opportunity go to waste. (11)

**Semuk  
**Can he service five females in one plak-tau?

**T'Pau  
**What he is incapable of finishing himself, we can complete later with the sa-nei-masu samples procured from him.

**Semuk  
**How were you able to wrest his genetic material from him so quickly?

**T'Pau  
**We had help from Kahr-Lan Sa'aat…

Semuk looks pleased by the news. T'Pau seems distracted however. Without looking at Semuk, she asks him:

**T'Pau  
**Tell me more about Sa'aat. Where did you find him, again?

**Semuk  
**With the Hurgh Ghor Guild (12) on the black-asteroid Dremarka 17, near the Klingon border. He answered the distress calls when Vulcan was being attacked by Nero of Romulus, and offered the use of his ship for evacuation and transport purposes.

**T'Pau  
**He captains his own vessel?

**Semuk  
**A small cruiser, as I understand it. The _Haulat.(_13) Nothing to be concerned about, I am certain.

**T'Pau  
**It is not the ship that concerns me, Semuk… What concerns me is that those who command often find it difficult to take orders from others.

**Semuk  
**Sa'aat has done all that we have asked of him.

**T'Pau  
**Yes, but with what motivation? He seeks no power here. He took on the mantel of a kahr-lan without relish, so a military appointment is not his goal… What drives him?

**Semuk  
**…Civil peace for New Vulcan…

**T'Pau**  
You trust that his motives are that pure?

**Semuk  
**As you yourself pointed out, power and position do not seem to motivate his actions. What else is there?

**T'Pau  
**What always acts as catalysts in such circumstances: blood… aberration… passion… fanaticism… animus… delirium… a lust for anarchy…(14)

**Semuk  
**I sense none of that in Sa'aat.

**T'Pau  
**He is well schooled and superbly disciplined, I will grant you… although where Spock is concerned, he plays the enraptured fool quite well. Nevertheless, I can sense in his mind a cavernous depth, which I cannot fathom.

**Semuk  
**That is not extraordinary for those skilled in the K'a'sum'i.

**T'Pau  
**It is more than that. I know that you think highly of him, Semuk, but I do not trust him. Not fully. I did, however, offer him Spock as an inducement to keep him aligned with us, and that seemed to peak his interest.

**Semuk  
**(bemused)  
Spock as a bondling to a sa-ka-ashausu… Sarek would be appalled.

**T'Pau  
**Good --

**Elevator (Male Mechanical Voice Over)  
**Neh-neik vok kehkuh.

The door to the turbolift opens again, and T'Pau steps out into a hall that looks almost identical to the one she just left. Semuk follows after her.

**Interior: Medical Facility on New Vulcan, Second Floor Hallway**

McCoy and Uhura are lost inside the medical facility. Uhura is worried, but determined. Frustrated by their lack of progress, she implores McCoy:

**Uhura  
**Try the tricorder again. I'm sure it indicated before that we were heading in the right direction.

McCoy lifts his pursed-sized tricorder device up and activates it. He scans the immediate area with the unit, and a beeping sound starts to emanate from it. He turns his whole body around in the corridor until the beeping sound is at its loudest and most consistent… When he looks up, however, the unit is pointing at a blank wall with rectangular ribbing on it.

**McCoy  
**It's indicating the wall again. Damn thing must be broken --

**Uhura  
**How is that possible? It was working fine before.

**McCoy  
**Maybe the Vulcans activated a jamming signal or something.

**Uhura  
**Then the tricorder would be showing us the interference -- not a clear signal. Maybe its directional interface is messed up. Let me see it.

Uhura takes the device from McCoy and fiddles with it.

**Interior: Medical Facility on New Vulcan, Second Floor Hallway, Another View**

While Uhura and McCoy are focused on the tricorder unit, the blank ribbed wall they were looking at before opens up quietly, revealing a large turbolift elevator (like the one T'Pau had been in previously). Inside the elevator are Sa'aat and the young Vulcan girl, **Tasmeen**15, who we had seen earlier in the Cathedral building. Sa'aat hands the child what looks like a short-strand necklace of black pearls, and speaks to her in tones we cannot hear. He then releases the child, and she goes hurrying down the hall right past Uhura and McCoy.

**Interior: Medical Facility on New Vulcan, Second Floor Hallway**

McCoy and Uhura are at first unaware of Tasmeen, Sa'aat or the elevator. Then McCoy sees the child as she runs past him, and recognizes her.

**McCoy  
**(to Uhura)  
She was in the Cathedral --  
(to the child)  
Hey, honey! Wait up!

Tasmeen pauses only for a moment to look back at McCoy, and then continues quickly down the hall.

**McCoy  
**Hey! At least show us the way off this floor!

**Sa'aat  
**(voice over, from the elevator)  
What are you doing here?

As Tasmeen disappears around a corner in the corridor, McCoy and Uhura turn to face Sa'aat. McCoy is at first irritated, but then beams when he sees the turbolift in the wall.

**McCoy  
**Hey, the tricorder wasn't malfunctioning after all!

Sa'aat exits the turbolift and the door closes behind him, vanishing into the surface of the wall again. He steps up to McCoy and Uhura, and Uhura confronts him directly.

**Uhura  
**Where is Spock?

**Sa'aat  
**You cannot be in this place.

**Uhura  
**Where… is… Spock?

**Sa'aat  
**You are in a restricted area. Do you wish to be incarcerated?

**McCoy  
**We wish to see Spock.

**Sa'aat  
**That is impossible at this time. He has been made ready for the --

**McCoy  
**Look, General, or whatever the hell your rank is supposed to be, we're getting more than a little sick and tired of being jerked around by you pointy-eared bastards. If you don't tell me where Spock is right now, I'll…

Sa'aat waits for McCoy to complete his sentence. His solid stance seems to dare McCoy to confront him directly. In the face of Sa'aat's determination, McCoy's pique fades a bit.

**McCoy**  
Well, I don't know what I'll do… but it won't be quiet and it won't be pretty.

**Sa'aat  
**Doubtless.  
(very serious)  
But I feel it necessary to remind you that you are "aliens" on this world. You are not citizens here, and you have no rights here -- regardless of your standing in the Federation. I am doing all I can to keep Spock from severe injury, but I cannot continue to do so if I am constantly being distracted by you, your arguments and your illegal activities.

**McCoy  
**What "illegal activities"?

**Sa'aat  
**Talking in a Formal Chamber, trespassing in a medical facility, violating the perimeter of a controlled area, threats of assault on a Vulcan military officer… Need I go on?

**McCoy  
**Not really, no.

**Uhura  
**Just let us see Spock, Kahr-Lan Sa'aat. We won't talk to him, we won't approach him if we're not supposed to, but… Just let us see him, so we can report to our captain that he's all right.

**Sa'aat  
**(spoken as a statement rather than a question)  
You are making regular reports to your starship.

**McCoy  
**Yes. Captain Kirk is up to speed on everything we witnessed at the Cathedral, and is on his way back here with the _Enterprise_…

**Sa'aat  
**(with restrained pique)  
Another distraction. Thank you.

Sa'aat pauses for thought for a moment, and then takes McCoy by the upper arm with one hand and Uhura by the upper arm with his other hand. He starts walking them rapidly down the corridor.

**Sa'aat  
**Come with me before you both are seen and arrested.

**Interior: Medical Facility on New Vulcan, Third Floor Bio-Genetics Storage Lab**

The Vulcan child, Tasmeen, is tiptoeing through the interior of the lab, careful not to disrupt anything or make any noise.

The room is pristine; the floor, walls, ceiling and fixtures are all painted a monotone dove-like grey. There are long tables cluttered with scanning equipment, and the walls are punctuated with circular cabinet doors. Tasmeen counts off several of the cabinet doors before putting her fingers in the center of one of them. She presses in as hard as she can.

The door opens and chilled air pours out in a vapor into the room while a long shelving unit filled with biological samples extends out from the wall. Each sample on the shelving unit is contained in a contamination-free housing phial about the size of a thumb. Each phial has a sort of holographic "label" on it describing its contents. Tasmeen reads the markings on the samples, and selects only specific ones from those on the shelving unit. For each sample she selects, she removes a "pearl" from her "necklace" and sets it onto the back of the sample's small housing phial.

The "pearl" attaches itself to the phial and then flattens out into a small, dark disk. When she is satisfied with her work, Tasmeen goes to the end of the shelving unit where the door is and presses on the center of it again. The shelving unit retracts back into the wall and the circular door shuts with a suction-sound.

She then steps over to a second cabinet door, and opens it as she did the previous one. The second unit opens up and she starts applying more of the pearls to the phials on the shelves.

**Interior: Medical Facility on New Vulcan, Second Floor Office**

We see the office from the interior. It is dark inside but we are able to see that it is a shallow space fitted only with a desk and a chair. The top of the desk seems to be littered with a variety of monitoring screens and a narrow bank of what look like "sockets" into which other equipment can be connected. Two walls are perfectly blank, one has a door on it, and the rear wall houses a huge picture window with double-paned glass. The window is clear on the inside, but shows a mirrored surface on the other side so anyone looking at the window from the outside would see only their own reflection and not who or what was in the office.

The door opens and the lights in the room flicker on automatically.

**Sa'aat  
**Lights to 30 percent.

At his command, the lights in the room dim considerably. Sa'aat pushes Uhura into the room ahead of him, and pulls Dr. McCoy in behind him. Before they have a chance to complain or react, Sa'aat shuts the door (with him in the room with them). He turns to them, already speaking:

**Sa'aat  
**The windows are set to "echo", so no one can see you. And the room is sound-insulated, so no one can hear you either. Be careful not to draw attention to yourselves and you should be secure here until I can find a way to get you out of the building undetected.

**McCoy  
**What is this place?

**Sa'aat  
**An observation and transcription station; one of several on this floor. It looks down onto the surgical arena.

**McCoy  
**(intrigued)  
Really? I've never seen a Vulcan surgical suite firsthand before.

McCoy steps up to the window and looks through the glass.

**Uhura  
**(to Sa'aat)  
And why bring us here?

**Sa'aat  
**You said you wanted to see Spock, did you not?

**Uhura  
**Are they conducting surgery on Spock?!

**Sa'aat  
**No.

Confused, Uhura turns to the window herself and comes face-to-face with McCoy who is looking at her with shock on his features.

**McCoy  
**(his voice low, filled with concern)  
I don't know if you really want to see this --

**Uhura  
**Why? Is Spock all right?

Uhura pushes McCoy aside and looks through the glass as McCoy answers her:

**McCoy  
**He's going through the induced plak-tau…

* * *

1 **Author's Note:** Based on the idea that homosexuality is a genetic predisposition (rather than a personal choice) I assumed that the Vulcans would accept homosexuality as a natural part of some individual's genetic structure and evolution and would therefore have no logical reason for prejudice against it. The fact that Sa'aat is gay, or "sa-ka-ashausu" (the Vulcan word for homosexual male), would not have shocked anyone unless he had tried to hide it or lied about it. In Vulcan society, being gay may be acceptable, but lying it is not.

2 **Ip-sut**: Vulcan word for "hide" or "hidden"

3 **Sa-ka-ashausu**: Vulcan term for a homosexual male

4 This fact is based on Trek canon.

5 **Author's Note:** In my own back-story on Sa'aat, I devised that Sa'aat's expanded mental acuity and telepathic range was increased during his time with the Coh'Lie people – a mystical warrior race that is something of an enigma. [[I made up this race of beings myself; it is NOT part of Trek canon.]] Not associated with the Federation or any other planetary allegiance, the Coh'Lie generally act only in defense of their own world, and are not predatory or exploratory in nature. Once their wrath has been excited, however, they kill without empathy or deference, and have been known to extinguish entire races in order to restore their privacy and self-supremacy. The Coh'Lie world, therefore, has been labeled a "quarantined planet" and no Federation or Vulcan vessels are allowed to go there. For Sa'aat to even approach them would have been grounds for immediate dismissal from his Vulcan military service, and would probably have resulted in his being deported from New Vulcan. He therefore keeps this information to himself. Spock, Semuk, T'Pau and others are NOT aware of Sa'aat's interactions with the Coh'Lie.

6 **Pehkaya**: Vulcan word for "Stop"

7 **Chuffing**: a heavy-breath sound somewhere between a bark and cough; it signals a male Vulcan's pending sexual climax. [[**Author's Note:** This term and its definition are of my own making and are not part of Trek canon.]]

8 **Neh-neik vok kehkuh**: literally translated from the Vulcan it means "lower level four"

9 **Author's Note:** Some Trek-related sites suggested that a Vulcan male is not fertile until after his first Pon Farr has been initiated. Vulcan males are considered "children" until they sexually mature around age 30. In the alternate universe of Star Trek XI, Spock is about 35-40 years old. Some of the "interference" with his Pon Farr may be attributed to both the Human element in him, and to the fact that he has been away from his home world for an extended period of time. The "7 year itch" male Vulcans must endure is connected in part to the 7-year cycles of the planet itself.

10 **Ulef kosh-ves**: literally translated from the Vulcan it means "half-breed"

11 **Note**: according to the Star Trek Online Geekipedia (.com/wiki/Introduction_To_Vulcan_Physiology ) "Vulcan females are always fertile." However, they do have a reproductive cycle, much like Human females, and are able to conceive only when an ovum is present.

12 **Hurgh Ghor Guild**: a guild of assassins comprised of lethally-skilled members from various species who can survive the rigid training requirements. They generally operate only on worlds where paid assassinations are legal but sometimes take on other assignments for a price. "Hurgh Ghor" is Klingon word for "dark planet". [[**Author's Note:** this assassins' guild is my creation and is NOT part of Trek canon.]]

13 **Haulat**: literally translated from the Vulcan it means "Mirror"

14 **Author's note**: It was my intention here to reveal, to some degree, some of T'Pau's own reasons for taking the stance she has taken on New Vulcan; this statement is a sort of "Freudian slip" on her part.

15 Tasmeen's name means "autumn" in Vulcan


	3. Chapter 3

**The Ek'tevan Prerogative  
****By Mary K. Hanson  
**Limited Copyright © 2010

* * *

**ACT THREE:**

**Interior: Medical Facility on New Vulcan, Surgical Arena **

From the floor of the arena, the camera looks up at the mirrored side of the one-way glass of the picture window of the office where Uhura, McCoy and Sa'aat are situated, and then pans down and around to reveal the surgical arena itself.

Near the door, T'Pau stands with **Vulcan females #4, and #5 **who are much younger than T'Pau herself. The young females, standing in a line against the wall, are dressed in nothing but filmy russet-colored robes that barely cover their otherwise naked bodies. T'Pau is dressed in less formal attire than we saw her earlier, but is well and discreetly covered from neck to foot. The young females are quiet and calm, almost in a trance-like state, but T'Pau is alert and seemingly in control of her faculties.

The camera pans past them and further into the room. We can see **Vulcan females #1 and #2** naked and buriedin blankets near a far wall; both appear to be sleeping or unconscious. Their hair is askew, their skin flushed; and they seem to be taking quick, shallow breaths. The camera continues across the floor of the arena showing us tussled blankets and pillows, what looks like spots of green blood on the floor, and two torn russet gowns, until it finally comes upon Spock.

He is in the throes of the chemically induced plak-tau and seems to have lost all control. He is completely naked, and his body is flushed with the blood fever. Bruises discolor his skin, although he seems completely unaware of them. His eyes are wide and ferocious-looking; he is alternately panting and "chuffing". He doesn't speak but instead makes animalistic noises like roars, grunts and growls.

Spock grapples with **Vulcan female #3**, who seems just as wild-eyed as he is, and is just as naked. Her russet robe lies in tatters under her writhing body. Spock is on his hands and knees over the female who is on her back, and struggles to hold down her arms while he maneuvers himself between her thighs. The female's resistance seems more teasing than defensive; as though she is spurring him on. When Spock gets her into the position he wants, he releases her arms, grabs hold of her hips, and pulls them up off the floor to meet his body. The female throws her legs around him and lifts her head up to howl into his face. Spock snaps at her with bared teeth, catching her in the chin. Her skin between his teeth, he snarls and she purrs. The female rakes her fingers through Spock's mussed hair and down his back, leaving long deep scratches in his skin that start oozing green blood immediately. Spock's body then starts rhythmically thrusting against the female's.

**Interior: Medical Facility on New Vulcan, Second Floor Office**

Inside the dimly lit office, Uhura and McCoy are still at the large picture window, watching Spock. Sa'aat is standing at the desk behind them, and Uhura turns to face him. Her features show a mix of shock, sadness, and concern for Spock, and some queasiness over what she's witnessed. McCoy turns away from the window, too, and puts a tentative hand to Uhura's shoulder as a show of compassion and support.

**McCoy  
**If it's any consolation, Uhura, Spock doesn't know what he's doing…

**Sa'aat  
**…A side effect of the inducement is also temporary loss of short-term memory. Spock will most likely not remember anything that happens while he is under the drug's influence.

This information does not help Uhura feel less miserable or worried. She seems to have to fight her way through her emotions to speak cogently.

**Uhura  
**I thought the "blood fever"… the plak-tau, dissipated immediately after mating.

**Sa'aat  
**During a normal Pon Farr, yes, that is true. But this plak-tau is artificially induced. Its effects will not dissolve until the male is completely spent or the counteragent is administered.

**McCoy  
**So, they're going to keep him going like that until he falls over?

**Sa'aat  
**The reasoning behind the chemically induced plak-tau is to have the male mate with as many females as possible in order to guarantee that at least one offspring will result from the pairings. To achieve this, the male must remain in a heightened state of sexual arousal for a long period.

**McCoy  
**How long? Doesn't Priapism (1) become an issue after a while?

Sa'aat pauses, searching his mind for the definition of the word, and then answers.

**Sa'aat  
**Not generally… Although a male in plak-tau may have to temporarily endure the pain of a protracted erection should he find it difficult to immediately find a female and consummate mating, the body does recover.

**McCoy  
**Okay. But, in a case like this one... by the second or third female, isn't the male just "shooting blanks"? I mean, in Human males there's a "refractory period" that has to take place between ejaculations or else the quality of the semen is diminished. It usually takes about fifteen to thirty minutes depending on the age and health of the man.

**Sa'aat  
**Vulcan males similarly go through what we call the "bek-tor wak" (2), but it is usually only for a duration of five to seven minutes. Our circulatory system is more efficient than Humans'.

**McCoy  
**Well, good for you… But this kind of prolonged exertion can't be good for Spock. As I understand the plak-tau -- with the little information that's been made available to Star Fleet by the Vulcan Medical Academy -- it puts a tremendous stress on the Vulcan male's heart, deprives the body of nutrients and hormones, and can play havoc with the limbic system… not to mention the muscle strain the male has to endure…

**Sa'aat  
**The po-zung (3) triggered by the counteragent helps to correct that. Once the exertion is over, the male goes into a lengthy restorative sleep which helps to settle and repair both the body and the mind.

**McCoy  
**(after a brief pause)  
I thought Vulcans didn't like talking about sex.

**Sa'aat  
**As a race, we do not. Sexuality is a primitive function that eludes logic -- and it is a matter for privacy and discretion. However, in my capacity as an Osavensular T'Guv, it was necessary for me to speak openly about such issues in order for me to better instruct and inform my students. I am, therefore, in the habit of speaking frankly on the matter.

**McCoy  
**And you helped Spock with this -- with sex.

**Sa'aat  
**Yes.

**McCoy  
**(inviting)  
You know, after things settle down here in New Vulcan, the Federation could really use your help in updating and expanding our information on Vulcan sexuality and procreation. What we have isn't nearly sufficient to be of any real help to the Vulcans in Star Fleet…

**Sa'aat  
**I do not know that I would feel entirely comfortable divulging such information for public distribution and scrutiny.

**McCoy  
**(irritated)  
Of course not. God forbid you should set aside your priggish sense of decorum and actually have an intelligent conversation on the subject.

Sa'aat gives McCoy a completely deadpan look in response. McCoy turns to the window for a moment to try to compose himself. After a few seconds, he looks a little puzzled and mutters toward the glass:

**McCoy  
**I don't see any guards in there.

**Uhura  
**When Vulcan males are in the plak-tau, they usually perceive other males as competition for the females, and will kill them if they enter the mating space… Sometimes the Officiate will have a guard with her, but she has to shield him with her mind so the male in the "blood fever" can't see him or recognize him as another male… In ancient Vulcan history, all males and females killed to gain their mates.

**McCoy  
**(sarcastic)  
Lovely --  
(after a pause)  
These women… If they're as "ramped up" as Spock is, why are some of them just standing there on the sidelines?

**Sa'aat  
**T'Pau controls them. That is her role in this interaction. She is the abru-gla-tor (4), the Officiate here. She regulates which female comes into Spock's sphere of perception and at what time. She keeps the others quiescent until they are required, and sets those that have been successfully mated into a dream-filled sleep.

**McCoy  
**And why doesn't he go after T'Pau? Under those robes, she's still a female -- isn't she?

**Sa'aat  
**As Officiate, T'Pau also exerts a limited control over the plak-tau male so he does not attack her. It takes a disciplined and powerful mind to manage so many disparate psyches at one time.

McCoy turns away from the window to face Sa'aat.

**McCoy  
**Please, do not tell me you actually admire what she's doing.

**Sa'aat  
**I do not admire T'Pau's present course of action. I do, however, admire her ability.

**McCoy  
**Unbelievable…

While the men speak, Uhura looks distracted and very sad. She then brings herself out of her reverie to ask:

**Uhura  
**Is he… is Spock now bonded or married to them, to all of those women?

**Sa'aat  
**No. Since the inducement of the mating is artificial, no legal marriage under current Vulcan law is perceived. The females are not bonded to him; there is no linking of the minds. Only the bodies are connected.

**McCoy  
**That's a polite way of putting it.

**Uhura  
**And what about offspring? If any children should result from this, what happens to them? Where do they go? Who takes care of them?

**Sa'aat  
**The children will stay with their biological mothers, but will be considered wards of the State. The Ek'tevan Prerogative stipulates that offspring generated by the artificial plak-tau are to be considered "Taluhk Tan"(5) and a new hope for the prolongation of our race. They will want for nothing. The State will see to their education, housing, medical needs…

**McCoy  
**And what about Spock? If he fathers children in this way, will he have any contact with or influence over his kids?

**Sa'aat  
**In Vulcan society, the males generally control property and preside over legal affairs, but when it comes to matters of procreation, the female's wishes always take precedence. For example, a male can never demand that a pregnancy be terminated; and he can only have access to his offspring if the female permits it (6). As far as children born of the Ek'tevan Prerogative are concerned, however, the male's parental rights are even more restricted than they might normally be, as the children are considered to be the offspring of the State, not of the male whose genetic material was used to create them.

**McCoy  
**Wow, it just keeps getting better and better.

**Uhura  
**Isn't there any way you can put a stop to this?

**Sa'aat  
**Not at this stage. What is done is done, and cannot be undone. The only influence I may be able to exert will be after the plak-tau has passed. Until then, Spock is… on his own…

The camera moves past Uhura and McCoy, through the glass of the observation window, and down to the floor of the surgical arena again.

**Interior: Medical Facility on New Vulcan, Surgical Arena **

We see Spock lying on his side, panting, drained, and barely awake. There are now deep scratch marks down his back and along his sides, along with the darkening bruises on his skin. Despite his exertions, he does not sweat; but his eyes are sunken as he is becoming more dehydrated.7

The **Vulcan female #3** is on her knees a few feet away from him. The female is equally spent, breathing rapidly, and flushed with the recent intercourse. Her ribs and hips seem bruised, and there is a bite mark on her chin. All of her passion is abated, however, and she seems to be in a sort of trance again.

T'Pau is standing over the female and has the fingertips of one of her hands against the female's temple. The two are locked together in a touch-telepathic mind link. When T'Pau raises her hand, the female rises to her feet with it, as though attached to it. T'Pau escorts the entranced female over to a pile of blankets near a wall as distant from Spock as possible, and then moves her hand to direct the female to lie down on the blankets. The female lies down and T'Pau removes her touch. The female tugs the blankets up around her, curls up into a ball and falls asleep, still panting softly.

T'Pau then walks slowly, almost ceremonially, to one of the other still-robed females, **Vulcan female #4**, standing by door and touches her temple with the fingertips of one hand. This female, like the other one, is instantly mind-linked with T'Pau and follows the hand wherever it leads her. T'Pau walks this female over to where Spock is lying. As the women approach him, Spock slowly rolls up onto his hands and knees again, and then sits back on his heels, breathing hard. T'Pau releases her mind-link hold on Vulcan female #4, and steps away. As soon as the trance-inducing link is broken, the female looks down on Spock and her eyes widen. In response, his eyes glisten with arousal, and he gives out a low growl. The female cocks her head to one side and grins at him, her own arousal catching up to his very quickly.

Spock grabs the female by the ankle and yanks her down onto the floor. She falls onto her rump and back and bounces once against the blankets underneath her, but does not seem to mind the roughhousing. With a single movement, Spock flips her over onto her stomach. She shimmies up onto her hands and knees as he flings her robe up over her back, revealing her naked buttocks. He bites her hard on the bottom, and as she yowls with pain and excitement, he mounts her from the rear.

The camera then pans back to T'Pau, who is now standing by the door of the arena. Although her face seems composed, she watches Spock with great focus and intensity.

**Exterior: Docking Bay on New Vulcan, Late Afternoon**

The docking bay is a group of runways, landing pads and hangers where small spacecraft are able to land, dock, or take off from the surface of New Vulcan. It is situated just inside the city limits. Sa'aat is there, walking through the area to get to his own ship. We can see a number of Vulcan ships there, along with their engineering crews and a handful of security personnel, and we can also see the **Federation shuttlecraft** parked on one of the landing pads. Sa'aat gives the shuttlecraft a cursory glance as he walks past it and continues on to one of the hangers nearby. The doors on the hanger are closed. When Sa'aat reaches the hanger doors, he types a code into a control panel to the right of the doors, and they snap open. He enters the hanger, and the doors snap shut behind him again.

**Interior: Hanger in the Docking Bay on New Vulcan**

At first, the hanger looks completely empty; the floor space seemingly vacant of any craft or vehicle. Sa'aat lifts one hand, palm out and speaks:

**Sa'aat  
**_Haulat_, snem-tor el'mish t'to-sai. (8)

At his command, we see a sort of wavy distortion appear in the air in front of him that takes up most of the hanger. As the _Haulat's_ cloaking shield drops, we can then see the ship itself. The ship does not look like it is of either Human or Vulcan design. It is comprised of two distinct pieces, each shaped like a double-convex lens, one piece stacked on top of the other. The hull of each lens-like piece is covered with a dense layer of greenish-black, metallic looking "skin" that is smooth and seamless. Initially, there do not appear to be any doors, windows, weapons, or other protrusions anywhere on the exterior of the ship. As Sa'aat approaches, however, the greenish-black "skin" of the ship ripples with anticipation.

**Sa'aat  
**(command, to the ship)  
Tu'ash (9), _Haulat_.

At Sa'aat's command, the greenish-black skin pulls taught in one area and an orifice, like a mouth with dark lips, opens in the lower deck of the ship. Sa'aat steps through the orifice and enters the _Haulat_. As soon as he is inside the vessel, the orifice closes and the exterior of the ship returns to its former unblemished condition.

**Interior: The Cruise Ship **_**Haulat**_**, Lower Deck**

The interior of the _Haulat_ looks somewhat like the interior of other Federation and Vulcan spacecraft; everything is lit up and pristine. The walls all look "glassy", and one can see the underside of the skin pressed against them. The floors are buffed to a high polish. The ship seems to be circular inside with a large tube in the center that holds a turbolift between the lower and upper decks. The lower deck has rows of seats at one end, the engineering section, a small transporter platform and a storage area where some supply crates are stacked neatly. Sa'aat walks past the crates to the turbolift and enters it. The camera follows him, as the elevator lifts him up to the second deck.

**Interior: The Cruise Ship **_**Haulat**_**, Upper Deck**

The upper deck is where the command station with a viewing portal in front of it, and other workings of the ship are located. There are electronic devices, scanners, dials, and clear crystal panels lit up all around with a variety of read-outs on them. The command station looks like a shallow well near the fore of the bridge, in which the captain of _Haulat_ stands or sits while the ship is in action. Waiting for Sa'aat on this level are **Sarek** and two younger Vulcan females, **T'Kela **and **S'Risha**. Both women are dressed in ankle-length chalice-shaped dresses and have veils around their shoulders. T'Kela has her hair trimmed very short; S'Risha wears her long but up off of her shoulders. As Sa'aat approaches the group, he finds them engaged in conversation.

**T'Kela  
**…T'Pau and Semuk continue to press us.

**S'Risha  
**There is insufficient time for our forces to gather. I would suggest that the implementation of our exit strategy be initiated swiftly in order to secure your safety, Ambassador.

**Sarek  
**We cannot leave until Spock is well out of the induced plak-tau.

**T'Kela  
**We may not have that luxury --

**Sarek  
**Leaving Spock to the ravens is not an option.

As Sa'aat joins them, the females bow to him, and he bows to Sarek.

**Sa'aat  
**(to the women)  
I agree with the Ambassador. I will not abandon Spock. However --  
(turning to Sarek)  
We must be prepared for a hasty evacuation, Ambassador. As always, the _Haulat_ is at your disposal.

**Sarek  
**If we evacuate, the _Haulat_ alone will not be sufficient to accommodate all of us.

**T'Kela  
**We have three other vessels at hand, Ambassador, and I have a small ship of my own. The _Lerash-Khush_10.

**Sa'aat  
**I can also speak to the Humans. They may allow us access to their shuttlecraft… and the _Enterprise_ is currently on its way back to New Vulcan. I estimate its arrival in three hours, twenty-seven minutes. If necessary, we can entreat its captain to provide us with Sanctuary.

**S'Risha  
**It has been said that the _Enterprise_ captain is t'hai'la11 to Spock. He may indeed be willing to assist us.

**Sarek  
**Very well. Set stage-one of the exit strategy into action. However, I wish to avoid having to withdraw from New Vulcan if at all possible…

**Sa'aat  
**Understood.  
(to the females)  
Get our people ready. If we have the Humans' cooperation, I will advise them of the accurate transponder signals. Let me know when you are set. We will start in the inner city and fan out from there. Advise those who are currently off planet to remain so unless they hear directly from Ambassador Sarek or myself.

T'Kela and S'Risha both nod in agreement, and start heading toward the turbolift. Sarek steps briefly away from Sa'aat to address the women before they leave.

**Sarek  
**You must understand that if we leave New Vulcan under these circumstances, it is probable that we will not be allowed to return. You may be losing your home-world for a second time in less than a year; you must consider this.

**S'Risha  
**We have, Ambassador.

**T'Kela  
**We are with you, sir.

**Sarek  
**Then, it is my hope that your loyalty will someday be rewarded.  
(he gives them a Vulcan salute)  
Live long and prosper.

**T'Kela and S'Risha  
**Peace and long life

The two women enter the turbolift, and descend out of sight. When they are gone, Sarek looks to Sa'aat.

**Sarek  
**How does he fair?

**Sa'aat  
**Worn and bruised but thus far free from any severe injury. He bade me tell you: do not to abandon your stance to protect him. I am concerned, however. He is not safe here. There is more in T'Pau's mind than cunning and a lust for power… Although she shields herself from me with great effectiveness, I can sense in her a slow-glowing ember of deep hatred; and it is focused on your son.

**Sarek  
**I agree with your assessment. I believe that the loss of T'Pring, the destruction of our home-world, and the people's displeasure with her past -- and current -- leadership have all weighed against T'Pau so heavily that the burden of them has crushed her better self and driven her into madness. Her future actions, therefore, may be mercurial --

**Sa'aat  
**-- And rapacious, especially where your son is concerned.

**Sarek  
**Yes. She seems driven to damage Spock. I believe in her mind she has confused him with Spock Prime, and blames him for the death of T'Pring and the loss of her previous and more secure life.  
(after a pause)  
Sadly, I also believe that it was she who assassinated Spock Prime.

**Sa'aat  
**Yes. That was my impression also. But if she was the killer, she hides her guilt well.

**Sarek  
**She has a well-structured and fortified mind.  
(vaguely bemused)  
You are aware, are you not, that suspicion for that killing fell upon you for a time.

**Sa'aat  
**Considering my recent "activities" through the Hurgh Ghor, it was probably a warranted notion, if an erroneous one.  
(more serious)  
Perhaps you could challenge T'Pau's seat on the Council based on her mental status.

**Sarek  
**I have no proof other than my own suspicions and some anecdotal evidence. A challenge on that basis would be, at best, little more than a gamble...

**Sa'aat  
**We are running out of options… and out of time.

**Sarek  
**Yes, so it would seem.

**Sa'aat  
**(after a brief pause)  
How may I best serve you now, Ambassador?

**Sarek  
**Speak with the Humans; obtain their cooperation if possible. And stay with Spock. If our misgivings about T'Pau are accurate, her belligerence against him will only intensify.

Sa'aat nods and heads back toward the turbolift, but he stops when Sarek's addresses him again:

**Sarek  
**Sa'aat --

Sa'aat turns to face Sarek.

**Sarek  
**You know my mind, Sa'aat, so it may be redundant to put this into words, but… I do appreciate your assistance at this time. I know that when we previously parted it was not on the best of terms.

**Sa'aat  
**The past is the past, Ambassador. I live only in the present.

Sarek gives Sa'aat a slight bow of the head in acknowledgement, and Sa'aat enters the turbolift.

**Interior: Medical Facility on New Vulcan, Surgical Arena **

Inside the surgical arena, we now see **Vulcan female #4** lying on the floor surrounded by pillows, sleeping away as are the other used-up females.

At first, we can only hear **Vulcan female #5** as she howls angrily and beats on the floor with her palms. The camera pans the room to locate her, and find her slapping the floor in front of Spock's face. He is sitting on his heels with his torso bent over his thighs and the top of his head against the floor. He turns his head to one side to view the female. In his bruised face, his eyes still burn with the effect of the plak-tau, but his body is so exhausted now it is slow to respond for him. He is covered with saliva, blood and other body fluids and looks very drawn. He groans loudly and pushes himself up into a more upright position, still sitting on his heels. He then tries to get to his feet, but his legs seem "rubbery" and won't support him for more than a few moments, and he falls over in heap. His impact with the floor forces a loud painful cry from him, and he rolls slowly onto one side.

The female reaches him and pounds on his hip and thigh with her fists, leaving more bruises on him, and bites him in the shoulder several times to get him to react to her. In a sudden flash of rage, he finally lashes out at her with one of his own fists, and strikes her so hard on the skull that her head whips backward. There is an ugly-sounding "crack", and the female's head lolls around on her shoulders for a few moments before she falls over -- dead, her skull fractured and her neck broken.

In his present state, Spock is unaware that he has killed the female. He labors back up onto his knees and shuffles toward the female. "Chuffing", he slowly starts to mount her.

Across the room, T'Pau continues to watch but does nothing to stop him.

**Interior: Medical Facility on New Vulcan, Second Floor Office**

Inside the still dimly lit office, McCoy is standing by the window with his back to it, while Uhura sits in the chair by the desk. She is unwilling to watch the happenings in the surgical arena anymore.

When the door opens suddenly, Uhura jumps to her feet and McCoy rushes the few steps it takes to get to her side, in case he has to protect her. Uhura and McCoy both express relief, however, when they realize it is Sa'aat at the door. Sa'aat enters the office and shuts the door quietly behind him.

**Sa'aat  
**I require your assistance --

McCoy and Uhura look at one another and then look back to Sa'aat.

**McCoy  
**What? No "hi, honey, I'm home" or "gee, sorry for treating you like crap before" or other pleasantries; just an "I require your assistance"?

Sa'aat's eyebrows knit in consternation. He turns to Uhura, seeking an explanation.

**Uhura  
**He's frustrated. Don't mind him. If you can help us get Spock out of this place, we'll do anything you want.

That was what Sa'aat wanted to hear. He steps further into the room and stands beside the Humans.

**Sa'aat  
**First, I will require the doctor's medical tricorder.

**McCoy  
**Why?

**Sa'aat  
**So that I can document the DNA signatures of those who mated with Spock during this time, in order to allow us to trace their individual patterns and keep track of any offspring that may arise from this plak-tau.

**McCoy  
**Don't you Vulcans have your own medical equipment to do that?

**Sa'aat  
**Yes. But shortly I may not have access to it. I need to log the information elsewhere for safekeeping.

McCoy glances at Uhura, and she gives him a quick, short nod of assent. Reluctantly, McCoy hands his tricorder over to Sa'aat.

**McCoy  
**That's Federation property, by the way. I'll need it back when you're done with it.

**Sa'aat  
**Thank you. Next, I will need you to contact the _Enterprise_, on a secure channel, so that I may speak with your captain.

**Uhura  
**I can do that… But only if you promise me you'll get Spock out of here.

**Sa'aat  
**That is my objective.

**Uhura  
**Plans and goals don't cut it. I want your word as a Vulcan: you'll get Spock out of here.

**Sa'aat  
**(nods his head once, deeply)  
You have my word.

Uhura detaches her communicator from the belt at her waist and opens it up. She fiddles with some of the small unit's settings to get a secure channel.

**McCoy  
**(to Sa'aat)  
Are you going to tell us what's going on? Or do we just have to play "20 Questions"?

**Sa'aat  
**All will be explained when I speak to your captain.

Uhura hands Sa'aat her opened and activated communicator. He looks it over before lifting it near his mouth.

**Uhura  
**Just talk into it; someone will answer you.

**Sa'aat  
**(into the communicator)  
Kahr-Lan Sa'aat of the Vulcan Military wishes to speak with Captain James T. Kirk of the Federation starship _Enterprise_.

**Kirk  
**(voice over the communicator)  
_Enterprise_. Kirk, here. What can I do for you, Kahr-Lan Sa'aat?

**Interior: Transitional Council Cathedral on New Vulcan, Catacomb Antechamber**

In a small ceremonial chamber inside the bowels of the catacombs below the Cathedral building, we see T'Kela, S'Risha, and the child Tasmeen among a **small group of other Vulcans, mostly** **females**. They are all dressed in dark clothing, looking very funereal. Candles illuminate the room, and we can see that there is no electronic equipment in here. It all looks somewhat "primitive" and ancient. A small altar is set into the wall, off to one side on the room. On the altar are several small prong-shaped mechanical devices and a pile of tiny, square transmitter chips.

T'Kela steps up to Tasmeen, and uses one of the small prong-shaped devices to attach a transmitter onto the back of the collar of Tasmeen's dress. She smoothes the collar down, effectively hiding the chip from view. T'Kela then goes to the other Vulcans in the room and does the same thing; marking each one on the collar with a transmitter chip. When she is finished with the others, she goes to S'Risha and applies a transmitter to her collar as well. Then she hands the device over to S'Risha. As S'Risha applies a transmitter to T'Kela's collar, T'Kela speaks to the group:

**T'Kela  
**Remember, so as not to be detected, the sasayek (12) will not activate until just before transport is initiated. The range for these units is only 457.2 thoneks (13). So, if you are out of range during the initial evacuation, get to the next nearest rendezvous point as quickly as possible…

**S'Risha  
**If you do not yet know where your group is to be located, see me. Please, keep communications brief and to a minimum during this time…

**T'Kela  
**S'Risha will disburse the additional units and their dispensers to all Sect covey-leaders…

The other members of the group line up near S'Risha and she starts handing out the sasayeks and their prong-shaped dispensers.

**Interior: Medical Facility on New Vulcan, Second Floor Office**

McCoy and Uhura are standing with their backs to the observation window. They have been listening to Sa'aat talks to Captain Kirk via the communicator and are now apprised of the Fonn Vuhlkansu Sect, T'Pau's possible madness, and Ambassador Sarek's exit strategy. Sa'aat folds the communicator closed and hands it back to Uhura.

**Sa'aat  
**I suggest that you two get back to your shuttlecraft as quickly and as quietly as possible, and make it ready for departure.

**McCoy  
**We get lost in this place --

**Sa'aat  
**I can get you to a turbolift that will take you back down to the main floor. From there, keep to your right -- always your right, and you will find the exit. Leave the planet surface as soon as your ship is ready; later, activate your transporters only upon my signal. Remember that Semuk controls the majority of the military… Trust no individual or vessel that does not transmit to you the agreed upon identification frequencies.

**Uhura  
**Where will you be?

**Sa'aat  
**I will activate the _Haulat_ and put it into orbit. Then I will collect Spock and make him ready for transport. Once the evacuation signal is issued, we will only have a few minutes before the Vulcan Fleet will be alerted to our actions… The fleet is small but the vessels are still formidable. Your shuttlecraft will not be able to stand and fight against them with any success, so flee as quickly as you can and rendezvous with the _Enterprise_. I will follow…

Sa'aat ushers McCoy and Uhura to the door and opens it for them. Just as they are leaving, the observation window in the room behind them turns solid grey, and nothing can be seen through it.

**Interior: Medical Facility on New Vulcan, Surgical Arena **

From the floor of the arena, the camera shows us that all of the observation windows have now gone completely solid grey. One cannot see into the rooms beyond the windows, or see out of the windows to the arena below. The camera then pans down to the door area of the arena. No one is there.

The camera further pans the room, showing us the four sleeping females and the one dead one -- who is lying on her back, staring at the ceiling with blank eyes -- and then slows down and settles on T'Pau. T'Pau is standing over Spock, one foot on either side of his body as he lies on his back on the floor. He is panting very heavily; his usually smooth, combed hair is a tousled mess; he is bruised everywhere and somewhat filthy with blood and spit and sex; his bottom lip is split and there is blood on his chin; his eyes still burn with the plak-tau but he can barely keep them open.

T'Pau kicks him in the side with the side of her foot to roust him. Spock groans and his eyes flash, but he does not move.

**T'Pau  
**No po-zung for you yet, Spock. One more to go.

T'Pau lifts up the hem of her own heavy dress and then -- with a little bit of difficulty due to her age -- kneels down so that she is sitting on top of Spock's hips and groin. He gives her a long look of confusion and starts breathing more deeply, but does not interfere with her. She reaches under her skirts for him, and positions him where she wants him. Then she starts to "ride" him; moving her pelvis back and forth, and up and down over him until Spock's body starts mechanically responding to her.

As she pumps against him, he lifts his hands up to try to touch T'Pau's head, as though he wants to mind-link with her. She guides the hands away from her without any effort, and they fall away and bounce once against the floor on either side of his body before going still. Spock then lifts his head up off the floor to watch her, and chuffs through his teeth, but doesn't have the strength left to do much of anything else. His head settles back onto the floor and lolls to one side, while T'Pau continues to stimulate him. His whole body rocks and pitches on the floor with the force of her rhythms and he cannot control it. When he finally climaxes, he lets out a series of coughs, then one long aching groan, and closes his eyes.

T'Pau is expressionless when she rises up off of him, gets onto her feet, and smoothes down her clothes. She walks around to where Spock's head is and looks at him for a few seconds. Spock, wheezing, gazes up at her with dull, tired eyes. T'Pau reaches down and touches his temple with the fingertips of one of her hands. She joins her mind to his, and his eyes roll up and his eyelids flutter at the contact.

We can then **hear the door open**, and the camera pulls **back** to show us that Semuk has now entered the room. He stands by the door, seemingly tentative about coming in any further.

**Semuk  
**Can he see me?

T'Pau releases her touch from Spock and rises to an upright position again. She looks at Semuk with open disapproval.

**T'Pau  
**Do not play such the coward, Semuk. The kashek fo-dan (14) is in place. He can see, but not comprehend.

Semuk steps over to Spock and looks down on him. Spock does not react to his presence.

**T'Pau  
**I have him, Semuk. Do what you will.

The **camera then focuses on T'Pau**, so we can **hear** but not see what is happening to Spock. T'Pau is at first entirely without expression, but then we hear Spock start to moan in pain, and the tiny hint of a smile plays at the sides of her mouth. There are sounds of a struggle and blows being delivered. Spock coughs and we can see his blood spatter on the hem of T'Pau's dress. She ignores it. Then the sound of quick puffs of air from Spock escalates to that of harsh, deep, open-mouthed panting and groaning. Finally, we hear Spock crying out over and over again, until his voice cracks and he sounds like he may be weeping. T'Pau crosses her arms over her chest and seems very pleased.

**Interior: Medical Facility on New Vulcan, Turbolift**

Sa'aat enters the turbolift and the door shuts behind him. He is carrying a heavy dark robe over one arm; it covers the hand in which he is also carrying McCoy's tricorder. With his free hand he pushes a button which keeps the elevator from moving for a moment, and then extricates from his coat a small communications device that looks like a tubular cigarette lighter. When he activates it, swirling lights appear in the top of it. He speaks into the device with a hushed voice:

**Sa'aat  
**_Haulat._ Vitorau (15).

**Interior: Hanger in the Docking Bay on New Vulcan**

In its hanger, we see the _Haulat_ lift suddenly off the floor and hover there. The greenish-black "skin" on one end of the upper hull tightens and peels back like an eyelid, showing us the glassy interior hull of the ship. Lights and instruments inside the ship twinkle on, turning the whole interior of the ship bright white and yellow.

From the lower portion of the ship a thin probe-like extension seems to "grow" out of the skin, and levels itself at the control panel for the doors of the hanger. A pulse is emitted from the probe and strikes the panel, and huge doors in the ceiling of the hanger snap open. The probe is retracted into the ship's skin, and the _Haulat_ hovers slowly up toward the ceiling and exits the hanger.

**Exterior: Hanger in the Docking Bay on New Vulcan**

Outside of the hanger, the Haulat re-engages its cloaking device, and all we can see is a filmy distorted outline of it against the sky. The distortion rushes up into the sky, then vanishes completely from sight.

**Interior: Medical Facility on New Vulcan, Hallway outside the Surgical Arena **

Sa'aat walks briskly down the hall to the door of the surgical arena still carrying the concealed tricorder and the black cloak. He arrives at the arena door just as a medical team and several guards are removing the five Vulcan females from the room on anti-gravity driven litters. Sa'aat stands to one side to let them pass, and shows mild shock when he sees that one of the females is completely covered by a sheet.

T'Pau and Semuk are next out of the room, and they seem unconcerned to find Sa'aat standing there in the hallway. Semuk makes no comment to Sa'aat and simply continues down the hall, following the medical team and litters, but T'Pau remains behind to address Sa'aat.

**T'Pau  
**Spock's plak-tau has been completed.

**Sa'aat  
**Was it successful?

**T'Pau  
**Time will answer that question… but he seemed to perform adequately.

T'Pau holds out another long, silvery, glass-bodied syringe to Sa'aat. Sa'aat lifts his free hand, and accepts the syringe from her. He eyes it somewhat suspiciously, but does not voice his suspicions.

**Sa'aat  
**This is the counteragent?

**T'Pau  
**Yes. You will administer it. Then make Spock ready for another appearance before the Transitional Council in the Formal Chamber. They will address him within the half hour.

**Sa'aat  
**But… the counteragent will initialize his po-zung. Spock needs time to sleep and recover.

**T'Pau  
**It may be to Spock's benefit to appear before the Council. An offer will be presented to him there which may repair his status in the eyes of the State. Keep him awake until the proceeding is concluded; after that, he can sleep all he wants to.

**Sa'aat  
**(slightly confused)  
As you wish, Minister.

T'Pau leaves, and Sa'aat remains standing by the door for a few moments. He eyes the syringe, makes sure no one is around to see what he is doing, and then scans it with McCoy's medical tricorder. He looks at the readout from the device and seems pleased by it. He utters to himself:

**Sa'aat  
**Not poison…

Sa'aat bounces the syringe in his hand and steps into the arena room. The door shuts behind him.

**Interior: Medical Facility on New Vulcan, Surgical Arena **

Inside the surgical arena, Sa'aat scans the room with his eyes and mind, looking for Spock, and finds him in among a heap of pillows near the wall. He walks quickly over to Spock and seems shocked by the condition in which he finds him. Spock is lying in a tightly curled fetal position, still completely naked. His body is a mass of bruises, scratches, bite marks, and scrapes. His eyes are sunken and surrounded by dark circles. His skin, still smudged with blood, spit and other bodily fluids, and has an almost grayish hue to it. He is panting, wheezes when he breathes, and shivers with exhaustion and impending shock. Occasionally, is body is wracked by unproductive coughing.

Sa'aat places the robe and tricorder on the floor beside Spock, then snatches up the nearest blanket and wraps Spock in it while he pulls Spock up into a sitting position on the floor. Spock gives out an unbidden whimper of pain as though it's excruciatingly painful to sit, and puts a hand out to push Sa'aat away, but he hasn't the strength. He looks up at Sa'aat and does not seem to recognize who or what he is.

Although it takes a moment to register, still under the influence of the plak tau, Spock's eyes flash at the sight of another male in the room and he bears his bloodied teeth at Sa'aat. Sa'aat takes one of Spock's wrists in his hand and pulls on it to extend Spock's arm. Spock snarls and attempts to free his wrist, but is too weak to succeed. Sa'aat presses the tip of the syringe against the inside of Spock's forearm, and administers the counteragent. The syringe hisses against Spock's skin, and Spock blinks at it dumbly for a brief moment.

**Sa'aat  
**It will take several minutes for the plak-tau effect to completely abate. And the counteragent has been know to make some males --

Spock heaves forward and vomits onto the blankets over his lap.

**Sa'aat (Continued)  
**-- quite sick.

Spock looks completely shocked by the process, as though he has never vomited before in his life, and doesn't understand what is happening to his body. As Spock continues to regurgitate, Sa'aat wraps an arm around his shoulders to support him, and keep him from aspirating any of the spew. When the retching passes, Spock's eyes seem to clear of the plak-tau's fire, and his tight features seem to relax a bit. The rapid panting slows down considerably, but the cough remains.

Spock blinks a few times and then lifts his head to look at Sa'aat again. He tries to speak but cannot seem to make the words come out; his lips move but no sound emerges and he looks confused by this.

**Sa'aat  
**Do not be alarmed, Spock. The speech center is normally the last to reengage. You full faculties will be at your command again shortly. Breathe through the fog; it will lift.

Spock takes several long, deep, trembling breaths as Sa'aat rises and walks across the room to one of the panels recessed in the wall. We can **hear** Spock cough a bit as the panel opens to reveal a sink with a cabinet beneath it. Sa'aat opens the cabinet and removes a large bowl, some hand towels, and some ointment from it. He then holds the bowl into the sink and the sink automatically dispenses purified water into it. When the bowl is nearly full, Sa'aat removes it from the sink, and then carries the bowl, towels and ointment over to Spock. He sets them on the floor near Spock's feet.

Sa'aat then walks to another panel in the wall, touches it, and reveals a compact computerized dispensing station. He speaks directly to the station itself:

**Sa'aat  
**Shur t'plomik, fal, dahkuh (16).

At Sa'aat's request two small but deep bowls of clear, greenish-brown soup appear. Sa'aat takes the bowls from the unit, holding them gingerly because they're hot, and walks them over to where Spock is still sitting on the floor. He hands one bowl to Spock and sets the second one on the floor nearby. At first, Spock doesn't respond to the offer, so Sa'aat lifts one of Spock's hands to the first bowl.

His whole body still shaking and weak, Spock takes the bowl in one hand, and then steadies it between both hands. Sa'aat wraps a few more blankets around Spock's body, and then sits down next him on the floor. Hands trembling, Spock holds the bowl up close to his face and lets the hot steam from it warm his skin before attempting to drink any of the soup. When he takes a sip, the hot bowl and broth sting his wounded lip. He hisses in pain, and turns his face away from the bowl, wincing deeply.

**Sa'aat  
**Move through the pain, Spock. Your body needs the fluid.

Spock inhales then lets out a shuddering breath, coughs a few times, and closes his eyes. It takes a few moments of concentration, but then he seems to have some of his pain under control. He opens his eyes again, lifts the bowl to his mouth with quaking hands, and drinks the broth slowly.

As Spock sips at the broth, Sa'aat scans him with McCoy's medical tricorder and talks to him.

**Sa'aat  
**The po-zung will be upon you shortly, Spock, but you must fight to stay alert. T'Pau wants you to stand before the Council again before you rest.

**Spock  
**(speaking slowly, his voice raspy, tremulous)  
What more… do they want of me? They have taken… everything.

**Sa'aat  
**Depriving you of sleep after such an exertion seems to be an obvious attempt by T'Pau to keep you in a muddled state… I may be able to assist you by offering you some psionic support.

Sa'aat raises a hand to touch Spock's temple, but Spock tilts his head away in refusal of the contact.

**Spock  
**(speaking slowly, his voice raspy, tremulous)  
Please… I… can endure… no further intrusion on my mind at this time… Sa'aat.

**Sa'aat  
**(lowering his hand, speaking gently)  
I understand.

Sa'aat continues to scan Spock's body with the tricorder. He looks concerned by what he sees in the read-outs, but doesn't mention anything to Spock. Sa'aat eventually turns off the tricorder and then pulls from a pocket his small communications device.

**Sa'aat  
**_Haulat_, ifis-tor reh-vipladayek (17).

At the command, the tricorder vanishes in the signature yellow-gold-spray of the _Haulat's_ transporter device. Sa'aat puts the communicator back into a pocket.

**Spock  
**(over the lip of the bowl of soup)  
Dr. McCoy will miss that...

**Sa'aat  
**Not for long. I will return it when I am finished with it.

**Spock  
**It provides you with… information… that you do not wish to share with me.

**Sa'aat  
**When your mind is clearer, we may discuss it at length if you wish.

Spock finishes drinking the broth, and then looks for someplace to set the bowl. He ends up propping it on a pillow beside him. Sa'aat hands him the second bowl, and Spock drinks that one down more readily, his body thirsty for fluids. He sets the second bowl beside the first, then draws the blankets more tightly around his shoulders and turns weary eyes on Sa'aat. His voice is hoarse from panting, quivery and uneven when he speaks.

**Spock  
**May I bathe? I can… smell the others on my skin… Their scent is… making me ill…

**Sa'aat  
**I am sorry. There is little time, Spock.  
(he indicates the large bowel, towels and ointment)  
But we can refresh you a bit before you appear before the Council, again.

Spock gives Sa'aat a dejected and disappointment look.

**Sa'aat  
**I do not deny you to be cruel, Spock. Truly, there is no time, and… we do not want to flush the evidence from your body before it can be collected and analyzed.

**Spock  
**Evidence?

**Sa'aat  
**Of… the extent of your injuries.

Spock looks down at his body for the first time, and seems stunned by what he sees.

**Spock  
**All this from… a single plak-tau?

**Sa'aat  
**Seemingly.

Sa'aat brings the large bowl of water, towels and ointment closer to him, dips one of the towels in the water, and then applies the wet towel to Spock's face. At first, he just lets Spock's skin absorb the moisture from it, then he starts gently cleaning off the blood and other matter, being careful around the gash in Spock's forehead and the bruising around his eye.

**Sa'aat  
**(cleaning Spock's face)  
What do you remember?

**Spock  
**Little… A haze of movements… Everything bathed in dark green flame… Convulsions and… release… Sounds… Screams and echoes, from what source I do not know… Pain and --

Spock coughs a little and wipes the sputum and blood from his damaged mouth with the edge of the blanket that covers his hand.

**Spock (Continued)  
**-- and blood.

Something then seems to occur to Spock and he looks at Sa'aat directly, weary and concerned.

**Spock  
**In the plak-tau… did I injure anyone?

Sa'aat continues to clean Spock's face and neck with the damp towel and answers only after choosing his words carefully18.

**Sa'aat  
**I am not certain.

Sa'aat then sets the towel aside and picks up the ointment. It is in a sort of cylindrical spray-canister.

**Sa'aat  
**Close your eyes.

Spock closes his eyes, and Sa'aat sprays a light layer of the soothing ointment over the wounds and abrasions on Spock's face. When he's done, Sa'aat closes up the canister and sets it aside. He turns back to Spock to find Spock looking at him eyes open again.

**Spock  
**You have… a benevolent touch…

**Sa'aat  
**No always. It depends entirely upon with whom I am making contact.

**Spock  
**...Always gentle with me…

**Sa'aat  
**(exposing some of his feelings for/to Spock)  
Yes. Always, when with you, Spock. How could it be otherwise?  
(putting aside his feelings)  
I have brought you a robe in funereal-dark, to wear. If you can stand, I will help you dress.

**Spock  
**I… wish… to wear my Star Fleet uniform.

**Sa'aat  
**You cannot. T'Pau had it destroyed.

Spock shakes his head slowly, and leans back against the wall behind him with a heavy, trembling sigh. He takes a few moments to compose himself, and then starts to rise to his feet. Sa'aat assists him.

* * *

1 **Priapism **is a condition in which blood cannot or will not drain from the penis; also called a "protracted erection"; it is a serious medical issue if left untreated.

2 **bek-tor wak**: The Vulcan equivalent of a refractory period in Human males; the time between one climax and a subsequent one; literally translated it means "wait time". [[**Author's note:** This condition is my own creation and is not based in Trek canon.]]

3 **Po-zung**: literally translated from the Vulcan means "after-exhaustion"; term used to describe the stuporous sleep after the completion of mating during a chemically induced plak-tau. The males only enter this state after being injected with a counteragent that extinguishes the effects of the artificial plak-tau. The po-zung can last anywhere from 10 to 32 hours, but usually lasts about 14 hours. This gives both the mind and the body time to recover from the chemically induced plak-tau effect. [[**Author's note:** This condition is my own creation and is not based in Trek canon.]]

4 **Abru-gla-tor**: Vulcan term for "overseer"

5 **Taluhk Tan**: Literally translated from the Vulcan language, it means "precious gift"

6 This is not based entirely in Trek canon, but is derived from inferences made from it.

7 According to the Star Trek Online Geekipedia, Vulcans do not sweat. In part, the article on the "Introduction to Vulcan Physiology" reads: _"…Vulcans lack sweat glands as an evolutionary development to conserve moisture in an extremely hot, arid climate. Excess heat is drawn away by the blood to be exhaled or stored and radiated from the skin when external temperatures are lower. This is why Vulcans have a very warm breath and their skin is almost hot to the touch under most conditions. Another difference in the skin of Vulcans is the fact that, even though the skin does not give off moisture, it can directly absorb moisture from the surroundings if there is any…"_ Despite this contention, we HAVE seen Vulcans sweat before; T'Pol is probably the most obvious example. And we did see Spock perspire very slightly when he attacked Captain Kirk on the bridge of the _Enterprise_ after Kirk baited him into revealing he was emotionally compromised following the destruction of Vulcan; however that may be because Spock is half Human. Nevertheless, I stuck to the IVP for my information.

8 **Snem-tor el'mish t'to-sai**: a command for the ship to drop its cloak; literally translated from the Vulcan it means, "Remove device to cloak".

9 **Tu'ash**: Vulcan for "open"

10** Lerash-khush**: Vulcan term for "diamond"

11 **T'hai'la:** the Vulcan term for "friend/companion/loved one", a special relationship between two people, which is significantly more personal than a friend or sibling yet slightly less than a paramour is. "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry devised the term to explain the intense relationship between Kirk and Spock.

12 **Sasayek**: the Vulcan word for "transmitter"

13 **Thonek**: The Vulcan word for meter. 457.2 thonek is 1500 feet.

14 **kashek fo-dan**: Literally translated from the Vulcan it means "mind shield"

15 **Vitorau**: The Vulcan word for "activate".

16 **Shur T'Plomik, fal, dahkuh**: Literally translated from the Vulcan it means "Plomik soup, hot, two". Plomik (or plomeek) is a kind of Vulcan vegetable.

17 "**Ifis-tor reh-vipladayek**": Literally translated from the Vulcan it means "transport tricorder"

18 **Author's note**: I had Sa'aat be careful of what he said here because I didn't want him to lie to Spock (as Vulcans do not lie), nor did I want him to tell Spock at this juncture what he suspects happened to Spock, i.e_._ the assaults by T'Pau and Semuk.


	4. Chapter 4

**The Ek'tevan Prerogative  
****By Mary K. Hanson  
**Limited Copyright © 2010

* * *

**ACT FOUR:**

**Interior: Transitional Council Cathedral on New Vulcan, Hallway**

Outside the doors of the Formal Chamber, we see Sa'aat and Spock waiting in the hallway to be allowed inside. Spock is leaning against the wall, wearing the floor-length, heavy black "funereal dark" robe Sa'aat had brought for him. Although the robe is clean and pressed and covers Spock from neck to ankle, Spock is still disheveled, mostly unwashed (except for his face), and barefoot. His whole body trembles with exhaustion and his teeth are chattering. He occasionally coughs, and still fights against the counteragent which is bringing on his po-zung.

Sa'aat is still dressed as we saw him earlier. He stands close to Spock and keeps an eye on him, sometimes reaching a hand out to steady Spock when Spock looks like he's going to fall over or slide to the floor.

The doors to the Formal Chamber open, and two masked soldiers step out to either side of the doorway, lirpas in hand. A third soldier, **Sionak**, steps up and temporarily blocks the doorway. As though intuiting what the soldier wants, Sa'aat addresses him. _(All of the Vulcans speak in Vulcan.)_

**Sa'aat  
**You need not be concerned. I know better than to bring a weapon into the Formal Chamber.

Sionak seems to think for a moment, then steps aside. Spock looks at the soldier with drowsy curious eyes, but says nothing. Sa'aat does not acknowledge any of the soldiers further at all. He instead, ushers Spock past them without as much as a glance in their direction. The guards display no reaction to the apparent shunning by their general, and remain standing by the doors; they then close the doors once Spock and Sa'aat are inside the chamber.

**Interior: Transitional Council Cathedral, Formal Chamber, Front Dais **

The Formal Chamber is set up as before: On the dais are long low tables set up in a horseshoe arrangement. Beyond the tables is a raised platform where the Ministers' chairs are situated behind matching footstools. Banners with cursive Vulcan calligraphy running down them hang from the walls behind the Ministers' chairs. All of the Ministers are in attendance: Sarek, T'Pau and Semuk, T'Pessmar, Ne'Milk, and Teylon. They are already seated, and they all look at Spock as Sa'aat brings him forward.

Sa'aat maneuvers Spock up onto the dais and behind the tables. He then takes only a few steps back, so he can assist Spock later if need be. Spock stands, his whole body still shuddering with exhaustion, and places his fingertips on the top of the nearest table, using his hands to steady himself. He wobbles a bit and his posture is not as formal and proper as it normally is, but he somehow remains on his feet. He coughs occasionally, but tries to suppress it.

**Interior: Transitional Council Cathedral, Formal Chamber, Sa'aat's POV**

As he takes his position behind Spock, Sa'aat looks back at the seating area in the rear of the chamber, and can see that McCoy and Uhura are not there. We can also see that room is filled with spectators; mostly females as before. Many of them are dressed in black, and we recognize S'Risha and Tasmeen among them. Sa'aat does not acknowledge them either, but turns around to face the Ministers as Semuk speaks:

**Interior: Transitional Council Cathedral, Formal Chamber, Front Dais **

Semuk leans forward in his chair, seemingly making no effort to hide the smug look on his face.

**Semuk  
**I note that you wear Vulcan attire to this assemblage, Spock. The Ministry appreciates your willingness to conform to its wishes.

Spock opens his mouth to speak, his lips tremble as he starts to form words with them. He then reconsiders, closes his mouth, and says nothing.

**Semuk  
**And I see your self-restraint has returned. How refreshing.

Again, Spock refrains from speaking but he clutches the edge of the table with both hands to steady himself -- and control himself.

**T'Pau  
**Spock, son of Sarek.

Spock's eyes go to T'Pau.

**T'Pau  
**This Council has very generously taken time this day to reconsider your case and your previous rejection of the Ek'tevan Prerogative, and we have gathered once more to allow you the opportunity to amend your response to that statute…

T'Pau waits a moment for Spock to respond and when he doesn't, she continues talking:

**T'Pau  
**We are aware that since this morning, you have contributed your blood and sa-nei-masu samples to the State, and have undergone the chemically induced plak-tau as required by the edict…

When Spock still doesn't respond, the Ministers look at one another. One of the other female Ministers, T'Pessmar, leans forward in her chair and addresses Spock. As soon as she starts talking, Spock looks at her.

**T'Pessmar  
**(trying to appear helpful and informative)  
When we make an allowance for the fact that you are half-Human, we understand, Spock, that since your introduction to the edict came so quickly on the heels of being informed of the unfortunate death of your counterpart, Spock Prime, your Human emotions may have -- How shall I phrase it? -- "clouded your better judgment". It is not this Council's wish to have your otherwise pristine record sullied with a response of "noncompliance" if that response was the result of… "imprudence" brought on by a compromised emotional state.

Still, Spock says nothing. Sa'aat frowns a bit behind him, and steps forward to check to see if Spock is actually still awake. He touches Spock on the back of the arm, and Spock turns his head in Sa'aat's direction but does not look at him. When Spock speaks, his voice is hoarse, tremulous, and somewhat breathless.

**Spock  
**I hear them… (*slight cough*) They have not yet stated… what they want of me.

Sa'aat steps back, and T'Pau starts speaking again. Spock's eyes go immediately to her.

**T'Pau  
**Spock. This Council is willing to amend the permanent record, have your violation expunged, and acknowledge that you have now met the requirements of the Ek'tevan Prerogative.

**Spock  
**But there are… conditions…

**T'Pessmar  
**(again attempting to be helpful)  
-- Only that you now apologize to this body for your previous behavior, and state for the record that you willingly submitted to the demands of the edict.

Spock's eyebrows knit in tired puzzlement.

**Spock  
**(*cough*) You would have me… lie, Minister?

T'Pessmar sits back in her chair, composed but obviously disappointed by Spock's response.

**T'Pessmar  
**He is incorrigible.

**T'Pau  
**As I told you, he --

**Spock  
**Ministers.

T'Pau shoots Spock an unguarded hot glare at the interruption.

**Spock  
**I am… I am…

Spock pitches forward as though he going to faint. Sa'aat goes to him and steadies him, but after only a few seconds, Spock puts Sa'aat at arm's length and stands by himself again -- still using the table in front of him for support; still trembling all over. He lifts his head as high as his weary muscles will allow him to, and speaks to the congregation.

**Spock  
**I am Spock, son of… son of… Amanda of Earth (1)…

A shocked gasp from the Vulcans echoes throughout the chamber. Sarek remains expressionless, impassive. Spock continues:

**Spock  
**…And I hereby restate my… opposition… to the Ek'tevan Prerogative… and renounce my… Vulcan citizenship until such time… as the reproductive rights… of the male population of New Vulcan are fully reinstated… the edict is vacated… (*coughs*) and the present Ministers of the Transitional Council… resign… or are removed from office…

The chamber fills with noise from only partially controlled voices everywhere. Some of the Ministers are on their feet or the edge of their seats; the guards lift their weapons but are unsure what action to take; the people in the gallery are all talking to one another simultaneously: some in support of Spock, some in dissent.

Sa'aat watches everything. Slowly, secretly, he retrieves the communication device from his pocket and holds it in his right palm, his fingers wrapped tightly around it to conceal it. He glances over to Tasmeen, and from across the chamber she gives him a solitary nod in acknowledgement. He presses his thumb in against the top of the communications device in his hand and we can then see, on the collars of a select number of the Vulcans in the room -- including Spock, Sa'aat and Sarek -- a tiny speck of white light appear as the signal transmitters are activated. From a distance, the specks look like lint and are otherwise unrecognizable.

Standing at the table, Spock is trembling so badly from exhaustion now that he can barely keep himself erect. Amid the fracas in the chamber, his eyes go from Minister to Minister and eventually land on Sarek. Sarek returns his son's gaze with quiet control.

T'Pau, on the other hand, is on her feet and on the verge of screaming. She bangs on the arm of her chair to get attention, and when that accomplishes nothing, she pounds her foot on the floor.

**T'Pau  
**Hizhuk! Hiyet! (2)

Some of the other Vulcans in the chamber reveal surprise at her tone and her actions. Not realizing for the moment how "out of control" she appears, she focuses her wrath and impatience on Spock.

**T'Pau  
**You seek to rebel against the established government of New Vulcan. Your words verge on insurrection and sedition, Spock! We will have you arrested!

**Spock  
**I speak only the truth… And your government… is not "established"…(*cough*)  
(to all of the Ministers)  
Need I remind you, Ministers, that the currently seated Council is a "Transitional" one… By definition, in a temporary or… provisional status, subject to change… No permanent ruling body has yet been elected or ensconced; therefore… (*cough*) My comments may be seen not as sedition against a standing government… but rather… as simply an opposing viewpoint expressed during an elective and probationary period… Will this body set the precedent of making it illegal for… citizens to express their views without fear of retaliation by the State?

**T'Pau  
**You cannot abandon your Vulcan citizenship with one breath, and then declare your rights as a Vulcan citizen with the next, Spock. Since you have renounced your Vulcan citizenship, and have, with your own pronouncements, claimed to be a child of Earth rather than Vulcan, you no longer have rights here.  
(to the room)  
This Council's previous decision to allow Spock the opportunity to amend his response to the Ek'tevan Prerogative is hereby rescinded.  
(to Sa'aat)  
Kahr-Lan Sa'aat, as the senior military officer in this chamber, you will place the individual, Spock of Earth, under arrest for attempted insurgency against the government of New Vulcan.

Before Sa'aat can speak or respond, from somewhere in the gallery, over the dull noise in the room, a female Vulcan speaks up:

**T'Zantha  
**Ministers -- .

All eyes go to T'Zantha. T'Pau and the other Ministers look at her in confusion. It is T'Pessmar who responds to the woman.

**T'Pessmar  
**Who speaks?

**T'Zantha  
**(moving out where she is more visible)  
I am T'Zantha.

**T'Pessmar  
**And what bearing do you have on these proceedings?

**T'Zantha  
**None, Minister, except to exercise my right as a citizen to address the Transitional Council.

**T'Pessmar  
**What have you to say?

**T'Zantha  
**That I am T'Zantha, daughter of my mother T'Marth of Vulcan, and I hereby state my opposition to the Ek'tevan Prerogative and relinquish my Vulcan citizenship until such time as the reproductive rights of the male population of New Vulcan are fully reinstated and the present Ministers of the Transitional Council resign or are removed from office.

The noise level in the room goes up again.

**Semuk  
**Outrageous!

From another part of the gallery, another Vulcan speaks up:

**T'Stala  
**I am T'Stala, daughter of my mother T'Androma of Vulcan, and I hereby state my opposition to the Ek'tevan Prerogative and relinquish my Vulcan citizenship until such time as the reproductive rights of the male population…

And another _(speaking at the same time)_:

**Gilgreni (**3)  
I am Gilgreni, son of my mother, T'Book of Vulcan, and I hereby state my opposition to the Ek'tevan Prerogative and relinquish my Vulcan citizenship until such time as…

And then more; nearly a dozen in all, both females and males, _all talking at the same time_: The room is a mass of noise and voices.

**Serran  
**I am Serran, son of my mother T'Ko-Maire, and I hereby state my opposition to the Ek'tevan Prerogative and relinquish …

**Stilven  
**I am Stivlen, son of my mother P'Trinn, and I hereby state my opposition to the Ek'tevan Prerogative and relinquish my Vulcan citizenship until such time as the reproductive rights of the male population of New Vulcan are fully reinstated…

**Entreia  
**I am Entreia, daughter of my mother, T'Nena of Vulcan and I…

Sa'aat looks at Spock who – even as enervated as he is – seems both pleased and dismayed by the show of support. Among the Ministers, Sarek is stoic, but T'Pau is infuriated.

**T'Pau  
**Hiyet! Hiyet!

**K'Reyl  
**I am K'Reyl, son of my mother, T'Reslee of Vulcan, and I hereby state my opposition to the Ek'tevan Prerogative…

**Sol't'gol  
**I am Sol't'gol, son of my mother T'Enya of Vulcan, and I hereby state my opposition to the Ek'tevan Prerogative and relinquish my Vulcan citizenship until such time as the reproductive rights of the male population of New Vulcan are fully reinstated and the present Ministers of the Transitional Council resign or are removed from office.

**T'Pau  
**Hizhuk!

T'Pau stomps her foot demanding order, and finally lifts her chair up and bangs it against the floor to get the attention of the people in the room. Everyone looks at her, showing unguarded shock at her outburst of emotion. She is livid with rage and makes no effort to compose her expression. When she speaks, she's actually spitting out the words.

**T'Pau  
**This is treasonous!

The room rumbles with noise again.

**T'Pau (Continued)  
**You will all be placed under arrest! Karh-Lan Sa'aat, direct your soldiers to restrain the insurgents and remove them from this Chamber at once!

Again, before Sa'aat can act or the soldiers can move, Sarek stands up. He leaves his chair and steps down, silently, solemnly toward Spock. The room starts to go quiet as father approaches son.

The soldiers look to Sa'aat for his orders, but he gives none. They look to T'Pau and Semuk but the Ministers are too busy watching Sarek to respond.

Sarek reaches the horseshoe-shaped display of tables and walks around them to join Spock on the other side of the main table. He comes to a standstill at Spock's left side. Spock coughs lightly – trying again to contain the noise – and glances over to his father, but Sarek does not return the glance. Instead, Sarek simply stands there like a solid tree in a whirlwind and waits for everything in the room to settle down around him completely again. The room eventually goes silent once more and the Ministers all sit down. Some of the bystanders in the chamber cock an eyebrow in interest, or crane their necks to see what is happening. Sarek then speaks:

**Sarek  
**Ministers of the Transitional Council of New Vulcan...

The Ministers, including T'Pau, look to Sarek. T'Pau is breathing hard but now somewhat realizes how foolish she looks, and she fights to contain herself. She has only limited success. When neither T'Pau nor Semuk address Sarek, T'Pessmar speaks:

**T'Pessmar  
**This Council recognizes Sarek of Vulcan, Ambassador, and Co-Minister of the Transitional Council of New Vulcan.

**Sarek  
**Ministers, you know that I am not one for sentimentality or --  
(glancing at T'Pau)  
-- irrationality.  
(to all of the Ministers)  
You know that I endeavor always to speak with candor and accuracy, and allow my logic to guide me in all things.

**T'Pessmar  
**Then one hopes that your decorum and wisdom can prevail at this juncture, Ambassador Sarek, and return this assemblage to a more befitting state of order.

Sarek remains composed and formal, standing with his hands behind his back. He takes a moment for thought, and then speaks again:

**Sarek  
**As all of you know, my son, Spock, is half-Human, and as such he can be occasionally impulsive, obdurate, incommunicative, even openly disobedient…

Spock lowers his head, seemingly embarrassed by the fact that his father seems so disappointed in him.

**Sarek (Continues)  
**(to the room)  
Nonetheless, as impulsive as he may sometimes appear, Spock has never lacked wisdom, and has never failed to do exactly what he believed was the right and honorable thing to do – even when doing so put himself at risk. Many of you know this, which is why you stand in support of him at this time.  
(to the Ministers)  
His words today may bear a resemblance to sedition, but I know that in his heart, Spock holds a resolute allegiance to his home world, and a respect for and devotion to the people of Vulcan that is as intractable as Spock often is himself.  
(after a brief pause)  
And as you are aware of Spock's somewhat "singular" nature, one must bring into question your reasons for compelling him to stand before this authoritative body, expecting him to be other than what you know him to be.

Sarek turns to the Vulcans on the chamber floor.

**Sarek (Continuing)  
**I am reminded of the Earthmen's quote, "Insanity is defined as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." (4)  
(turning back to the Ministers)  
Bringing Spock before you repeatedly as regards the issue of the Ek'tevan Prerogative, with the expectation of a different result from him is no less irrational. I submit, therefore, my fellow Ministers, that your logic has been compromised and your reasoning is unsound. For my own part, as I know that each of you is equally entrenched in his or her own set patterns of behavior, each with his or her own personal agenda in these proceedings, it is also unreasonable for me to expect you to behave in a manner contrary to your Selves.  
(to the room)  
A wise diplomat always recognizes when the parties at hand have come to an impasse.  
(looking back to the Ministers)  
My logic dictates, therefore, that I now pursue a different course of action.

**T'Pau  
**And what course of action would that be, Ambassador?

Spock and Sa'aat both look at Sarek.

**Sarek  
**Only this. To state, Ministers, that I am Sarek, son of my mother T'Lara (5)…

Gasps go up throughout the room. Sa'aat looks concerned. Spock looks startled. T'Pau and Semuk glance at each other, believing a victory is close at hand.

**Sarek (Continues)  
**… And I hereby state my opposition to the Ek'tevan Prerogative and relinquish my Vulcan citizenship until such time as the reproductive rights of the male population of New Vulcan are fully reinstated, the edict is vacated…

**T'Pessmar  
**Disgraceful!

**Sarek (Continues)  
**…And the remaining seated Ministers of the Transitional Council resign or are removed from office.

At that, Sarek removes his own badge of office and places it on the table in front of him. Once more, the room floods with sound; everyone speaking at the same time. Over the noise, T'Pau speaks to the room:

**T'Pau  
**(loudly, forcefully)  
Declarations have been made by Ambassador Sarek, Spock, and others within this Formal Chamber of abandoning their Vulcan citizenship, and of seeking to provoke discontent and rebellion against the State. Their words are, by definition, seditious. Sedition is an act against the State to which the State must respond.  
(to the soldiers)  
Arrest them!

The soldiers look confused. Their general is not giving them orders, yet T'Pau is. They look to Sa'aat, who ignores them, then to Semuk. Semuk stands in support of T'Pau.

**Semuk  
**Place them in custody. Arrest them immediately!

The soldiers start making their way through the crowd in the room toward Sarek and Spock and the other seditionists. Along the way, some of the soldiers are interfered with by the other Vulcans who stood in support of Spock and by other bystanders. Some skirmishes ensue. In the middle of all of this, Sa'aat glances over to Tasmeen once more, and covertly nods once at her. She reaches into a deep fold of her dress and pulls out a tiny flat box with a button on it. She presses the button with her thumb and returns the box to her dress.

**Interior: Medical Facility on New Vulcan, Third Floor Bio-Genetics Storage Lab, Cabinet Interior**

In the lab, the camera show us the phials in the cabinets onto which Tasmeen had placed the "black pearls" from her necklace. One by one, the black pearls turn white, and then start glowing brilliantly. After a few seconds, the phials start exploding, destroying the contents of the phials and any surrounding samples.

**Interior: Medical Facility on New Vulcan, Third Floor Bio-Genetics Storage Lab**

Outside the cabinets, in the lab, we can hear the concussive blasts of the explosions inside the cabinets, and can see the front of several of the cabinets start to swell with the force building up inside of them. Then the swollen doors burst off the cabinets and the cabinets themselves explode. The explosions are strong enough to set off alarms throughout the building and shake the entire facility.

**Interior: Transitional Council Cathedral, Formal Chamber**

Inside the Formal Chamber the rumble of the explosions in the building next door is heard, and alarms inside the Cathedral start droning along with the alarms in the Medical Facility. T'Pau and Semuk look at one another in dismay, as the tumult in the Chamber escalates. As the place is in an uproar, Sa'aat lifts his communications devise to his mouth and speaks into it:

**Sa'aat  
**Now, McCoy --

At the command, Spock and Sarek, Tasmeen and S'Risha are enveloped in the swirling white light of the Federation shuttlecraft's transporter beam.

**Interior: Federation Shuttlecraft **_**Keswick**_**, in Orbit Above Vulcan**

Dr. McCoy is sitting in the pilot's chair of the vessel. Through the window in front of him, we can see the planet below. Inside the shuttlecraft, there are four transporter pads in the rear, and two sets of four seats in the mid-section, each with a harness that can be used to keep a passenger from falling out of the seat when the ship is in motion. The seats are lined up against the walls, four on one side, and four on the other, leaving a narrow aisle between them. McCoy turns to look behind him, though the rows of seats, at the small transporter pads in the back of the craft.

We then see Spock, Sarek, Tasmeen and S'Risha appear on the ship. The white swirling lights of the transporter beam diminish, and Uhura rushes up to help Sarek with Spock. Spock is going limp with fatigue as the po-zung continues to push on his system.

**McCoy  
**(to the others on the transporter)  
Clear the pads. I have a few more to beam up.

Tasmeen and S'Risha step off the pads and wait for the next group to be brought up to the shuttlecraft. We then see the Vulcans T'Zantha, Gilgreni, Serran and K'Reyl appear.

**Interior: Vulcan Shuttle, **_**Lerash-Khush**_

Inside the _Lerash-Khush_ we see T'Kela activating her transporter. Several Vulcans from the Chamber are beamed into her ship. We see among them T'Stala, Sol't'gol, Stilven and Entereia. We can also see, through the windows of the _Lerash-Khush_, the three other Vulcan ships that are assisting in the evacuation of the rebels.

**Interior: Transitional Council Cathedral, Formal Chamber**

T'Pau realizes that Spock and Sarek have escaped, and she scrambles to the edge of the dais, screaming at Sa'aat and the soldiers while she points to the other Vulcans who spoke in Spock's defense or fought with the soldiers.

**T'Pau  
**Karh-Lan Sa'aat, stop them! Stop them!

**Semuk  
**Sa'aat -- !?

Sa'aat looks up at Semuk, and speaks once more into his hand-held communications device.

**Sa'aat  
**_Haulat_. Ifis-tor kaukuh (6).

At his command, Sa'aat and four other Vulcans, including the soldier Sionak who had stopped him at the door to the Formal Chamber, are all bathed in the signature yellow-gold-spray of the _Haulat's_ transporter device. They vanish from the Chamber.

**Interior: The Cruise Ship **_**Haulat**_**, Lower Deck**

Sa'aat, Sionak, and three other Vulcans, all females, appear on the transporter pad of the lower deck of the _Haulat_. Sa'aat leaves the others where they are, and gets into the turbolift that takes him up to the upper deck and the command station.

**Interior: The Cruise Ship **_**Haulat**_**, Upper Deck**

At the command station, Sa'aat presses some buttons and a communications view screen appears in front of him. We can see McCoy displayed on the screen. Sa'aat speaks directly to McCoy through the communications channel.

**Sa'aat**  
McCoy, do you have them?

**McCoy  
**Got 'em, Sa'aat. What now?

**Sa'aat  
**Give me a few moments to transport up a few more passengers, and then we can leave. The _Lerash-Khush_ will take point; the _Haulat_ will take the rear…

**McCoy  
**Gotcha. McCoy, out.

The communications channel closes.

**Interior: Federation Shuttlecraft **_**Keswick**_**, in Orbit Above Vulcan**

Still sitting in the command chair, the McCoy turns to look behind him at the others in the craft. S'Risha has taken it upon herself to make sure the others are settled into their seats and buckled in properly. She helps Tasmeen with the harness.

Sarek sits to Spock's right and Uhura sits to Spock's left directly behind McCoy. T'Zantha sits next to Sarek, and the other Vulcans are lined up in seats along the opposite wall. Uhura is fussing over Spock, caressing his face and head with her hands, kissing him softly and slowly on the forehead, the bridge of his nose, his eyelids, and cheeks (careful not to brush his bruises). He leans his forehead against hers, exhausted and nearly asleep in the po-zung. His voice and husky and soft; _he speaks in Vulcan_:

**Spock  
**…Wani ra tobeg-sha ro ashalik (7) Nyotah.

**Uhura  
**(kisses Spock's hair)  
There is nothing to forgive, Spock. None of this was your doing; I understand that. Try to rest… Sa'aat explained the po-zung to us. Sleep now if you want to.

**Spock  
**Lu fi' ra _Enterprise_... ro wani yuk-sho (8)...

**Uhura  
**Okay.

Uhura then takes one of Spock's hands between her own, lifts it to her lips, and kisses his fingertips. In response, Spock takes in a few breaths, and then turns his head slightly to one side and kisses Uhura on the mouth. He winces at the pain caused when his split lip comes in contact with her lips, but he does not break the contact until the kiss is completed. Uhura touches his damaged lip lightly with her fingertips and then strokes his cheek.

The other Vulcans seem astonished by this open display of affection, and look to Sarek for an explanation. Remaining stoic, he responds to their unspoken query. _The Vulcans (except for Spock) speak in English so the Humans can understand them._

**Sarek  
**While among the Humans, my son has acquired some… unfortunate habits.

**K'Reyl  
**Indeed.

Uhura looks to the other Vulcans, even as she continues to hold one of Spock's hands in one of her own.

**Uhura  
**My apologies… I meant no disrespect.

**T'Zantha  
**We understand the Human need for expression… And these circumstances have been more than trying and unusual -- for all of us. But perhaps a bit more discretion is advisable. You are, after all, in the presence of a Vulcan child.

Uhura looks down the aisle to where Tasmeen is sitting (in the last seat, toward the rear of the ship, on the other side of the aisle). Tasmeen gives her a long look, as though she's trying to "read" Uhura's thoughts and expressions.

**Uhura  
**Sorry --

Tasmeen bows her head slightly in acknowledgement.

**Uhura  
**(to the other Vulcans)  
She doesn't speak. Was she born a mute?

**K'Reyl  
**The deficit is not physiological. The doctors believe it is a manifestation of the child's grief, which may pass with time.

**Gilgreni  
**Tasmeen lost her entire family, her friends, and her pet sehlat (9) when Vulcan was destroyed by Nero of Romulus. She has not spoken since. We of the Fonn Vuhlkansu have taken her as a "thanai", an adopted child, into our Sect.

**Uhura  
**What is her name?

**Gilgreni  
**Tasmeen.

**Uhura  
**It means "autumn"… She's very beautiful.

**K'Reyl  
**(speaking as a matter of fact)  
Most Vulcan children are.

Uhura smiles at this, and looks to Spock. He was not paying attention to the conversation. He is sitting with the back of head against the hull behind him and is trying to focus on staying awake. He is shivering slightly, so Uhura stands, reaches into a shallow compartment above the seating area, and pulls out a thermal blanket. She wraps it over Spock and the blanket takes on a dull red glow as it warms him. He turns weary eyes to her and mutters _(in Vulcan)_:

**Spock  
**Nemaiyo (10), Nyotah…

Uhura intends to kiss Spock again, but then reconsiders, and instead just tenderly strokes his hair. Meanwhile, S'Risha finishes checking that everyone is secure in their seats and joins McCoy in the cockpit area. There is an empty co-pilot chair next to his seat and she slips into it.

**S'Risha  
**May I assist you with anything?

**McCoy  
**In all honesty, Miss, I'm a doctor, not a fighter pilot. If things get ugly up here, I don't know how effective I'll be in the command chair.

**S'Risha  
**I am familiar with Federation shuttlecraft operational systems.

**McCoy  
**Great. Then would you mind taking over here, while I take a look at Commander Spock?

S'Risha nods in agreement. McCoy stands and S'Risha moves into the pilot's chair. She taps some buttons and checks the readouts while McCoy steps back to see to Spock. He pulls a medical kit out of one of the overhead compartments, and withdraws from it a small cylindrical medical scanning device. McCoy then sets the kit aside and squats down in front of Spock, holding the scanner out toward him.

**McCoy  
**You look like crap, Spock.

Spock gives McCoy an enervated and droll look, but says nothing as McCoy passes the scanner over and around his (Spock's) body. The back end of the scanner whirls around while it collects and organizes data.

**Interior: The Cruise Ship **_**Haulat**_**, Lower Deck**

We can see that there are now nearly over a dozen Vulcans have been transported into the lower deck of the _Haulat_, and they are all finding places to sit and strap in. When they seem well situated, the soldier Sionak, goes to the turbolift and rides it up to the upper deck.

**Interior: The Cruise Ship **_**Haulat**_**, Upper Deck**

Sionak joins Sa'aat on the main deck of the _Haulat_, and takes a position at a scanning station. Sa'aat glances back at him. _(The Vulcans speak in Vulcan to one another.)_

**Sionak  
**All ships are ready for departure, Kahr-Lan Sa'aat. The other vessels report that all systems are on line and all weapons are at your disposal.

**Sa'aat  
**Let us hope that we will not have to use them.

Sa'aat opens a communication channel to the Federation shuttlecraft _Keswick_ and the other Vulcan ships. The image on the view screen splits to show us an image of the pilot from each of the other vessels simultaneously.

**Sa'aat  
**T'Kela, how many were we able to get off the planet?

**T'Kela  
**One hundred and four.

**Sa'aat  
**Not everyone, but better than I had hoped for...  
(to all of the pilots)  
Make ready to leave orbit. Stay within sensor range of the other crafts at all times. If somehow we become separated in flight, rendezvous at the _Enterprise_ or at the alternate coordinates shown on your display.  
(after a short pause)  
May we all live long and prosper.

The people on the display all nod in assent and the view screen shuts off.

**Exterior: Outer Space, in Orbit Around New Vulcan**

We can see the planet of new Vulcan below, and in the upper portion of the screen we see the _Lerash-Khush_ engines fire and the small ship takes the lead heading away from the planet at warp speed. The three Vulcan shuttles and the Federation shuttlecraft _Keswick_, fire up and follow after the _Lerash_-_Khush_, vanishing from our view as they jump to warp-speed. The _Haulat_ remains where it is for a moment, as though making sure that the other crafts are safe and well on their way before following after them.

**Exterior: Outer Space, Another View**

The _Lerash-Khush_, _Keswick_, three Vulcan shuttles and _Haulat_ are zipping through space at warp speed. The stars and space around them all look blurred and elongated as the ships whiz away from New Vulcan.

**Interior: Federation Shuttlecraft **_**Keswick**_**, in Space at Warp-Speed**

Still squatting down in the aisle in front of Spock, McCoy has finished his medical scan of the Vulcan and turns the small device over in his hand to read the data. Something he sees there makes him frown; he flashes a glance at Spock. Spock is still entirely focused on simply trying to stay awake, and is unaware that the doctor is looking at him. Uhura, however, notices McCoy's reaction immediately.

**Uhura  
**What is it?

Sarek focuses his attention on McCoy now as well. McCoy continues to frown for a moment. He ignores Uhura's question and speaks to Spock:

**McCoy  
**What do you remember about what happened to you during the plak tau, Spock?

Spock focuses tired eyes on McCoy. It takes him a few moments to gather enough air and strength to respond.

**Spock  
**Kotai... Itisha ishek-sha... ra wanimo mafa... Kara ta...(11)

**Uhura  
**(translating)  
He says he remembers only a little; his mind is in a fog. He wants to know why you're asking.

**McCoy  
**Just wondering. There was something in the readout that seemed, I don't know, "anomalous" to me... It might just be a bad read. I'll double-check the data against the readings Sa'aat got with the medical tricorder earlier… assuming, of course, that he actually returns it to me.

Spock leans his head back against the hull, but Uhura isn't so quick to let the issue be. She puts a hand out to touch McCoy on the knee and leans in close to him to whisper:

**Uhura  
**What is it?

McCoy purses his lips and then responds.

**McCoy  
**I don't think I can discuss it with you.

**Uhura  
**Why?

**McCoy  
**Doctor-patient confidentiality. Sor--

**Interior: Federation Shuttlecraft **_**Keswick**_**, in Space at Warp-Speed, Another View**

McCoy is interrupted by an announcement from S'Risha in the command seat. The camera shows us the cockpit area of the _Keswick_, and we can see Sa'aat displayed on the communications view screen.

**S'Risha  
**Karh-Lan Sa'aat. Long-range scanners indicate a Vulcan Maymora (12) class combat cruiser on an intercept course.

**Sa'aat  
**Yes, the _Haulat_ confirms the readings. Stay on course for the Federation vessel. Do not become separated from the other shuttles. If I do not meet you aboard the _Enterprise_, look for me at the next rendezvous point.

**S'Risha  
**What are you going to do?

**Sa'aat  
**Whatever can be done.

**S'Risha  
**Understood.

The view screen goes blank and S'Risha makes some fine adjustments to the instruments in front of her, as McCoy steps up and sits down in the co-pilot seta beside her. _The Vulcans (except for Spock) speak in English so the Humans can understand them._

**McCoy  
**"Combat cruiser"? I thought Vulcans were pacifists.

**S'Risha  
**We are -- on the whole. But we Vulcans are derived from a warrior race. And although combat is undesirable, sometimes it is necessary.

**McCoy  
**Some habits die hard, huh?

S'Risha glances at McCoy not understanding what he meant.

**Interior: The Cruise Ship **_**Haulat**_**, Upper Deck**

At the command station, Sa'aat presses a few buttons and a panel rises up from the floor. The panel is generally flat on top with a long supporting leg underneath it, and the whole thing has "skin" on it like the skin of the outer hull of the _Haulat_. When Sa'aat places his hands on the panel, the "skin" quivers in reaction to his touch.

**Exterior: The Cruise Ship **_**Haulat**_

The exo-skin of the _Haulat_ shimmers as it, too, quivers all over. It is as though the ship can "feel" Sa'aat's touch.

**Interior: The Cruise Ship **_**Haulat**_**, Upper Deck**

At the weapons station Sionak watches as Sa'aat closes his eyes and mind-melds with his ship. As Sa'aat's mind takes over the interior controls, Sionak lifts his hands away from the console in front of him and sits back in his chair.

**Sa'aat  
**Kash-naf (13) established.

**Exterior: Outer Space, Another View**

As the other fleeing ships continue forward, the _Haulat_ slows down in space and cloaks itself. After a few seconds, we see the Vulcan combat cruiser come into view. It is exceptionally large, shaped like an elongated triangle with a needle-like nose and a ring-like structure near the rear that houses the engines. The larger ship passes by.

**Interior: Vulcan Combat Cruiser, **_**Desh'rak**_**, Bridge**

We can see **Khart-Lan (**14) **T'Mesh** of the _Desh'rak (_15) seated in her chair on the bridge. T'Mesh is austere and very composed. She is dressed in a military uniform, and wears her hair short with bangs. She has a small **crew of officers** with her on the bridge, all Vulcans, mostly females, overseeing various instrument panels. There are view screens and illuminated panels in front of T'Mesh that show her information on the ships she is pursuing. When one of the targets on the screens vanishes, T'Mesh leans forward in her seat.

**T'Mesh  
**Explanation.

**Vulcan Crewperson #1  
**Khart-Lan, we have lost the _Haulat_.

**T'Mesh  
**Find it. Full scan. All immediate sectors.

**Interior: The Cruise Ship **_**Haulat**_**, Upper Deck**

We can see through the _Haulat's_ view screen windows in the front of the ship, the large cruiser passing by quickly. When the rear of the cruiser is visible to the _Haulat_, the _Haulat's_ engines reengage, and we can see on the view screen that it is now in pursuit of the combat cruisers.

**Exterior: Outer Space, Another View**

The _Desh'rak_ presses forward toward the small group of fleeing vessels; it is so much larger than they are that it dwarfs them. As though on cue, the smaller ships drop out of warp to a sub-light speed, and the _Desh'rak_ does likewise. All ships come to a floating standstill in space; the _Desh'rak_ facing off with the smaller ships.

**Interior: Federation Shuttlecraft **_**Keswick**_

In the cockpit of the _Keswick_, the communications view screen alights with the image of T'Mesh. _**The Vulcans speak in English so the Humans can understand them.**_

**T'Mesh  
**Federation shuttlecraft, this is Khart-Lan T'Mesh of the Vulcan cruiser _Desh'rak_.

McCoy stands up and steps in behind S'Risha so his face appears on T'Mesh's view screen. He speaks for the shuttlecraft and the Federation.

**McCoy  
**Dr. Leonard McCoy, Chief Medical Officer of the _USS Enterprise_. What can I do for you, Khart-Lan T'Mesh?

**T'Mesh  
**Your shuttlecraft is carrying fugitives from New Vulcan. These fugitives have been charged with sedition and incitement of treason. We demand that you relinquish custody of them to us immediately.

**McCoy  
**Sorry. The Vulcans aboard this shuttlecraft and in the surrounding crafts have all requested the protection of "sanctuary" from the Federation under allegations of civil rights violations, possible torture, and political persecution by the present governing body of New Vulcan. I, as the senior officer present representing the Federation, granted the fugitives' request.

**T'Mesh  
**As I understand your military hierarchy, I believe Commander Spock outranks you, Dr. McCoy.

**McCoy  
**He does, but I've certified that he's currently not fit for duty, so... you're going to have to deal with me for now. Besides, I don't think Spock would be any more eager to turn himself and the others in his group over to you than I am.

**T'Mesh  
**The government of New Vulcan will not take lightly the Federation's interference with its jurisdiction over these fugitives.

**McCoy  
**Jurisdiction? You're out in the middle of free-space, Khart-Lan T'Mesh. Vulcan jurisprudence doesn't extend this far out away from your planetary body... And I shouldn't have to remind you that the shuttlecraft _Keswick_ is Federation property, over which the Federation has jurisdiction. So, if you take any aggressive action against this vessel to enforce the will of your government, I would have to consider that an act of war. Are you sure that's a street you want to walk down, T'Mesh?

**T'Mesh  
**Is this what Humans refer to as "drawing a line in the sand", Dr. McCoy?

**McCoy  
**Pretty much, yes.

**T'Mesh  
**You do not have the authority to declare war against New Vulcan.

**McCoy  
**In these particular circumstances, I do... I'm the senior ranking officer here, remember?

**T'Mesh  
**You have not the will.

**McCoy  
**Oh, I assure you: I'm not bluffing. Take one shot at this shuttlecraft or attempt to board her and I'll put you right smack dab in the middle of a military conflict with the entire United Federation of Planets. I don't think either of our governments will look too kindly on that. Do you?

T'Mesh looks away from the view screen to think for a moment, and then cuts off the transmission. McCoy looks to S'Risha.

**McCoy  
**Looks like she hung up on me --

**S'Risha  
**Evidently.

**Exterior: Outer Space, Another View**

We see the _Desh'rak_ turn away from the Federation shuttlecraft and face the _Lerash-Khush_ and other Vulcan ships. It engages its tractor beams and starts drawing the Vulcan ships toward it. The Vulcan ships ignite their engines in an effort to pull away from the _Desh'rak_, and a tug-of-war between the large ship and the smaller one ensues.

**Interior: Federation Shuttlecraft **_**Keswick**_

In the cockpit of the _Keswick_, McCoy and S'Risha can see what's happening.

**S'Risha  
**She is taking action against the Vulcan ships.

**McCoy  
**And if we fire on her to release them, we become the aggressors, and then she's at liberty to fire on us. Smart lady.

**Exterior: Outer Space, Another View**

Suddenly, the distortion that harkens the appearance of a cloaked _Haulat_ appears below the _Desh'rak_. Energy glitters around the cloaked-skin of the _Haulat_, gathers into a single beam and then strikes out at the larger ship's underbelly. The blast is stalled momentarily by the _Desh'rak's _shield, pulls energy from the shield, becomes stronger and brighter and then cuts through the shield into the _Desh'rak's_ engineering deck with magnified force.

**Interior: Vulcan Combat Cruiser, **_**Desh'rak**_**, Bridge**

The blast from the _Haulat_ makes the large ship shudder, and alarms go off throughout the bridge. The Vulcan crewmembers all look to their consoles and report to T'Mesh.

**Vulcan Crewmember #1  
**It is the _Haulat_. The ship appears to be cloaked, yet is able to fire its weapons.

**Vulcan Crewmember #2  
**The weapons are of an unknown configuration. They have somehow managed to breach our shields.

**Vulcan Crewmember #3  
**Keel shield down to 20%.

**Vulcan Crewmember #1  
**The _Haulat_ is firing again.

The whole interior of the Desh'rak shudders at the blast.

**Vulcan Crewmember #3  
**Keel shield is gone, Khart-Lan T'Mesh. The tractor beams have been disabled.

**Exterior: Outer Space, Another View**

The tractor beams wink out and the Vulcan ships are released. The _Desh'rak_ fires on the _Haulat_, but the energy from its weapons is absorbed into the _Haulat's_ skin. With each blast, it looks like the _Haulat_ gets "beefier", more "muscular"; as though it is feeding on the energy and getting stronger.

**Interior: Vulcan Combat Cruiser, **_**Desh'rak**_**, Bridge**

T'Mesh looks confused and startled by the power of the smaller vessel.

**Vulcan Crewmember #2  
**The _Haulat_ appears to have some kind of ablative armor. It absorbs the energy from our weapons and shields, and then refocuses it to use against us --

**Vulcan Crewmember #1  
**It is firing again.

The _Desh'rak_ lurches sharply to one side as another blast from the _Haulat_ hits her.

**Vulcan Crewmember #3  
**The _Haulat_ is targeting only specific systems, but with unerring precision.

**Vulcan Crewmember #2  
**Starboard shields down to 9.35%.

Another blast from the _Haulat_ hits the _Desh'rak_, and two of the bridge consoles explode from an energy overload. Sparks glitter down around T'Mesh.

**Vulcan Crewmember #2  
**Warp drive is off-line.

T'Mesh sits back in her captain's seat unsure of what to do next.

**Exterior: Outer Space, Another View**

The _Haulat_ zips out from under the _Desh'rak_, and moves in behind the larger vessel. The _Desh'rak_ tries to parry the _Haulat's_ movements, but it is not as maneuverable as the smaller ship and the _Haulat_ is able to literally run circles around it. The _Haulat_ continues to fire on the _Desh'rak_ pummeling her shields and body with its weaponry.

**Interior: Federation Shuttlecraft **_**Keswick**_

S'Risha opens a communications channel to the _Lerash_-_Khush_ and other Vulcan ships.

**S'Risha  
**Engage warp drive. Evacuate the area.

We can see through the cockpit windows of the _Keswick_, the _Lerash_-_Khush_ and other Vulcan ships engaging their warp drives and vanishing quickly into space. S'Risha then engages the _Keswick's_ engines.

**McCoy  
**What are you doing?! You can't leave Sa'aat alone against that thing!

**S'Risha  
**What would you have me do, McCoy? The _Keswick_ is no match for the _Desh'rak_, and you yourself noted that we cannot fire upon her unless she fires first. The _Haulat_ is giving us the opportunity to leave and safely rendezvous with the _Enterprise_. That is the logical course of action.

McCoy looks disappointed; he knows S'Risha is right and he hates it.

**Exterior: Outer Space, Another View**

While the _Haulat_ and _Desh'rak_ continue to fire on one another, the _Keswick's_ warp drive engages, and she zips out into space away from the battling ships.

* * *

1 **Author's note:** Since Vulcan families and clans usually identify with and align themselves behind the male's family line, for Spock to verbally identify himself with his Earthling mother instead of his Vulcan father would be considered quite shocking; Spock has, in the eyes of the Council, just spat on his Vulcan heritage.

2 **Hizhuk** is the Vulcan word for "quiet"; and Hiyet is the Vulcan word for "enough".

3 Create your own Vulcan name(s) with the Vulcan Name Generator

4 The quote is generally attributed to Albert Einstein.

5 **Author's note:** although many Trek sites claim that Sarek's mother was never named, her name does appear in the Vulcan Language Dictionary. See: /vld/

6 **Ifis-tor kaukuh:** translated literally from the Vulcan it means "transport five"

7 **Wani ra tobeg-sha ro ashalik**: Translated from the Vulcan this sentence is: "Forgive (excuse) me, my darling Nyotah".

8 **Lu fi' ra _Enterprise _ro wani yuk-sho**: translated from the Vulcan, this sentence means, "I will sleep when I'm aboard the Enterprise."

9 **Sehlat**: a large bear-like animal native to Vulcan often domesticated as pets; they typically weigh several hundred pounds and have 6-inch fangs.

10 **Nemaiyo**: The Vulcan word for the phrase "thank you".

11 **Kotai. Itisha ishek-sha ra wanimo mafa. Kara ta.:** The literal translation from the Vulcan is: "Little. It is fogged my mind. Why?"

12 **Author's Note**: for more information on Vulcan ships, see the website at: /schematics/vulcan_. The D'Kyr was thought to be of the Maymora class of vessles.

13 **Kash-naf:** the Vulcan word for "mind-link".

14 **Khart-Lan:** The Vulcan word for a starship captain. Khar**t**-Lan is "captain"; Kahr-Lan is "general".

15 **Desh'rak:** The Vulcan word for "north"


	5. Chapter 5

**Ek'tevan Prerogative  
****By Mary K. Hanson  
**Limited Copyright © 2010

* * *

**ACT FIVE:**

**Interior: Starship **_**Enterprise**_**, Shuttle Bay**

**Captain James T. Kirk** and **Chief Engineer Montgomery "Scotty" Scott** are walking quickly through the Shuttle Bay in the rear of the _Enterprise_, heading toward where the Vulcan ships have "parked" and the passengers are disembarking. The bay is like a huge hanger with two levels of spaces for shuttles and small cruisers, and a narrow landing strip between the levels. We can see the _Keswick_, _Lerash_-_Khush_ and other Vulcan ships among the shuttles already parked in the bay, but the _Haulat_ is not with them. McCoy is directing some of his **medical staff** to escort the Vulcans to the Medical Bay. We can see **Nurse Christine Chapel** among them. She is heading over to the _Keswick_.

**McCoy  
**(to his personnel)  
Everyone gets checked out before they're released from quarantine; got it? See Nurse Vallegas in the Medical Bay for the protocols and sign-off boards if you don't know where they are...  
(instructing the Vulcans)  
If I could have everyone come this way. This way. Thanks, that's great.

Kirk and Scotty reach McCoy, and he waves them over to the _Keswick_, while he continues to help the Vulcans from the other ships get to where he wants them to go for medical scanning. Along the way to the _Keswick_, Scotty stops to look over the _Lerash_-_Khush_ and Vulcan shuttles, while Kirk continues forward.

Kirk reaches the _Keswick_ just as Nurse Chapel arrives to supervise the medical team that is exiting the shuttlecraft with Spock on an anti-gravity gurney. The gurney floats in mid air, and the medical staffers direct it with touches and pushes. Uhura and Sarek exit the _Keswick_ right behind the gurney.

**Kirk  
**(to Uhura)  
I can't believe you were able to get him onto a gurney.

**Uhura  
**I wasn't easy. You know Spock; he doesn't like anything that might be construed as a sign of weakness.

**Kirk  
**So, how did you get him to lie down?

**Uhura  
**I have my ways...

Nurse Chapel does nothing to hide her worried looks at Spock, but retains a professional demeanor, and takes his vitals. When the gurney come close enough to him, Kirk looks down on Spock and takes one of his hands, giving it a hardy squeeze of support.

**Kirk  
**Hey, Spock --

Spock looks drained and drawn, and is nearly asleep; when he speaks his speech is somewhat slurred.

**Spock  
**Jim --

**Kirk  
**You look like crap.

**Spock  
**Kasemano McCoy... ra t'yana... ro sep-wafikhsha (1)...

Kirk looks to Uhura for a translation.

**Uhura  
**He said Dr. McCoy agrees with you...

Kirk smiles dimly at Spock, but continues to talk to Uhura.

**Kirk  
**Why is he speaking in Vulcan?

**Uhura  
**The part of his brain that translates Vulcan to Federation Standard isn't entirely "re-connected" yet. It's an after effect of the chemically induced plak-tau. Sa'aat and Sarek told me to expect something like that. It's not permanent...

Kirk leans in to Uhura and whispers to her, a look of deep concern on his face.

**Kirk  
**I hadn't expected him to look so... "brutalized".

**Uhura  
**T'Pau and her group were pretty rough on him, sir... But the Vulcans tell us that his body will work to heal itself once he's in the po-zung.

**Sarek  
**(to Kirk's look of puzzlement)  
A deep and healing sleep, Captain Kirk.

Kirk looks to Sarek, and then remembers that he's holding the Ambassador's son's hand. He carefully releases Spock's hand and holds his own hand out for Sarek to shake. Sarek recognizes the gesture and shakes Kirk's hand as Kirk speaks:

**Kirk  
**Ambassador Sarek. It's always a pleasure to have you aboard, sir. I wish we were meeting again under better circumstances.

**Sarek  
**As do I, Captain.

Kirk looks over to Nurse Chapel who has completed a preliminary scan on Spock. She is shaking her head and looks very troubled.

**Chapel  
**His pulse rate is 270 beats per minute, which is high for him, and his BP is too high (2.) It's like his whole body is under extreme pressure. His lungs have some fluid in them, which indicates that his heart isn't working the way it should...

**Sarek  
**The readings are exaggerated at this time because Spock is fighting against the effects of the counteragent. Once he fully releases himself into the po-zung and the restorative process has begun, the readings will return to more normal levels.

**Chapel  
**"Po-zung"? Is that like a meditative sleep?

**Sarek  
**Precisely.

**Chapel  
**If that's what he needs, then the best place for Spock to recover would be in his own suite, where the room can be kept hot and dark and quiet; not in the Medical Bay.  
(to the medical staffers controlling the gurney)  
I'll go get the okay from Dr. McCoy to take Spock directly to his quarters. Stay right here until I get back.

Nurse Chapel hurries off to find Dr. McCoy while the medical staffers stay with Spock's gurney. Sarek follows her with his eyes for a moment then turns to Kirk.

**Sarek  
**She seems very competent.

**Kirk  
**Yeah. She was the Chief of the Nurses at the Star Fleet Medical Academy with a specialty in xenophysiology. The _Enterprise_ is lucky to have her.  
(with a wry smile)  
And she kind of has a thing for Vulcans.

**Sarek  
**A "thing"?

**Kirk  
**A liking; a hankering for... She's hoping to eventually get her doctorate in Vulcan medicine. Apparently, some of my female crewmembers find Vulcans very... "interesting".

**Sarek  
**(looking to Uhura but speaking to Kirk)  
Yes, I am aware of that.

Kirk turns to Uhura who is looking a trifle embarrassed by the shift in the conversation. She doesn't say anything. To abate her discomfort Kirk takes on a more professional tack and addresses her:

**Kirk  
**Lieutenant, once things get a little more settled down here, I'm going to need you on the bridge to help me with the incoming flood of transmissions. I've got a lot of really chafed Vulcans calling me, and apparently not all of them speak or want to speak Federation Standard at this time.

Uhura looks a bit disappointed by the request; she wants to stay with Spock. She touches Spock tenderly on the shoulder, and then looks up to Kirk, all business again.

**Uhura  
**Of course, Captain.

Nurse Chapel returns hurriedly and motions to the medical staffers controlling the gurney as she speaks:

**Chapel  
**Okay, we've got Dr. McCoy' approval. Let's get Commander Spock to his quarters.

**Sarek  
**With your permission, Captain. I would like to accompany my son and see to it that he is able to successfully release himself into the po-zung.

**Kirk  
**Sure. Just let the med-techs do their job, and I have no objection to that.

**Sarek  
**Thank you.

Sarek, Nurse Chapel and the medical staffers all head out of the Shuttle Bay with Spock on the floating gurney. As they exit, Chapel looks across the gurney at Sarek and gives him a slight smile of interest. He is unsure how to respond, and so doesn't respond at all.

Kirk looks around to make sure McCoy has everything under control, and then he and Uhura exit the Shuttle Bay, heading for the bridge.

**Interior: Starship **_**Enterprise**_**, Spock's Quarters, Main Room**

Inside Spock quarter's, Sarek assists Spock off the gurney and holds him in a standing position while the medical staffers take the gurney away. They exit and the door to the corridor outside closes behind them.

We can see that the main room of Spock's suite is very neat and clean, and somewhat Spartan. The lights are all at a very dim setting3. On the walls, there are an artistic representation of a Vulcan IDIC and some hand-painted panels of Vulcan calligraphy. A worktable with a computer array on it and an ergonomic chair are the only furniture in this room.

Nurse Chapel steps past Sarek, and gestures for him to follow her. He half-escorts half-carries Spock into the adjoining bedroom.

**Interior: Starship **_**Enterprise**_**, Spock's Quarters, Bedroom**

Like the main room, this room is very organized and prim. Against one wall, there is a simple bed situated beside a large oval portal that looks out onto the star field outside the ship. A small chest of drawers sits next to the bed, and beside that is a tufted recliner-chair. There is a computerized dispensing unit in another wall, beside a narrow closet. Shelving units decorate the wall directly across from the bed. The shelving units hold Spock's personal items, including but not limited to some awards and medals, hardbound books, a 3-D chess set, some Vulcan pottery, a horga'hn (4) statuette_, _and a small digital box that displays images of Spock's home planet and his deceased mother, **Amanda**. A Vulcan ka'athyra (5) sits in on the floor below the shelves.

Sarek first sees the ka'athyra, and then notices the horga'hn. His eyebrows knit at the sight of it. Nurse Chapel sees his reaction and goes to the statuette. She picks it up, and while she carries it to the chest of drawers and stashes it away, she explains:

**Chapel  
**Uhura gave that to him as a sort of joke.

**Sarek  
**The humor escapes me.

Still holding Spock upright, Sarek asks:

**Sarek (Continuing)  
**Is there a bathing room?

**Chapel  
**Over here --

Nurse Chapel leads Sarek, who is still guiding/carrying Spock, over to the adjacent bathroom.

**Interior: Starship **_**Enterprise**_**, Spock's Quarters, Bathroom**

The bathroom door snaps open at her approach, and she turns on the lights (which are dim like the other lights in Spock's quarters). We can see a large shower stall that dominates this room along with a standard sink and toilet. A blanket-warming unit is set inside one wall. Nurse Chapel demonstrates some of the gadgetry on the shower for Sarek.

**Chapel  
**You can set it for "sonic" or "water spray". Sonics can be rough on Vulcan ears, so... hot and cold controls for the water are here.

Leaning against his father's body, nearly asleep, Spock mutters _in Vulcan_ as though in a dream-like state:

**Spock  
**(in Vulcan)  
Water was scarce on T'Kashi... (*cough*) Hot water... such a luxury...

When Spock's voice trails off, Nurse Chapel continues on to Sarek:

**Chapel  
**...Press this lever and the floor will recess to make a walk-in bathtub if you'd prefer that. Product dispensers are here if you want soap, or shampoo, or emollients, or whatever... Towels are in the cabinet under the sink, or you can use the in-shower drying station.

Nurse Chapel presses a button that activates an all-body blow-dryer in the shower stall. Then she turns it off again.

**Chapel  
**Can I help you with anything else?

**Sarek  
**I believe we can manage.

**Chapel  
**Okay. Just call me if you need anything.

Nurse Chapel exits the bathroom, leaving Sarek and Spock behind and the bathroom door closes. After a few seconds, we hear the loud spray of water from the shower.

**Interior: Starship **_**Enterprise**_**, Spock's Quarters, Bedroom**

In the bedroom, Nurse Chapel turns down the blankets on Spock's bed and goes to the chest of drawers. She fishes into the bottom drawer and pulls out an extra blanket, which she lays across the foot of the bed. Then she steps over to a small environmental control box on the wall near the bedroom door, and sets the "ambient temperature" gauge up to 32.77° Celsius. (6) Standing by the bedroom door, she then dims the lights further until it is nearly pitch black in the room; the only illumination coming from the star field outside the portal. When all of that is completed, Nurse Chapel looks around and can't seem to find anything else to occupy her time. She looks to the closed bathroom door and calls out to Sarek:

**Chapel  
**I'm going now, Ambassador.

She waits a few moments but hears no response. A little disappointed that she can't be of more assistance to the Vulcans, she exits Spock's quarters, her lips slightly pursed.

**Interior: Starship **_**Enterprise**_**, Spock's Quarters, Bathroom**

The bathroom and shower stall are filled with steam from the extremely hot water being used. Spock is standing naked in the shower stall with his hands against the wall, bracing himself so he can stay on his feet, while Sarek -- still dressed; his clothes getting damp from the cast off of the shower's spray -- uses a soapy hand towel to wash the blood, spittle and other matter from Spock's skin.

We can see numerous bruises, scratches, bite marks and abrasions all over Spock's body. There is green blood on his chest and down the inside of one leg. Spock is still breathing rapidly and shallowly, and occasionally coughs a dry unproductive cough. His body shivers despite the heat in the room, and sometimes it appears as though his knees are going to buckle and drop him to the floor. By shear force of will, he somehow remains on his feet.

Although Sarek shows nothing in his face, he touches his son with a fatherly gentleness and care. He eventually turns Spock toward him, propping his son's back up against the shower wall, to clean the front of him, and then washes Spock's hair. Through it all, Spock winces and groans lightly, as though he aches everywhere.

When the shower is finished, Sarek initiates the blow-dryer system in the stall. Spock shuts his eyes as the hot air blasts at him.

**Interior: Starship **_**Enterprise**_**, Spock's Quarters, Bedroom**

Sarek maneuvers a now clean and dry Spock from the bathroom into the bedroom, and helps him to lie down on the bed. Spock moans, rolls over onto his side, hisses a little in pain, and then curls up into a ball on the mattress. Sarek lifts the blankets over him and covers him with them up to his chin. Sarek then looks around the room, seemly able to see easily in the pitch dark, and locates the chair. He pulls it up next to the bed, and sits down in it.

On the bed, not moving from his present position, his voice barely audible, Spock mumbles. _**Both Spock and Sarek speak to each other in Vulcan. **_

**Spock  
**Father --

**Sarek  
**Yes, Spock.

**Spock  
**Am I... (*cough*) a... disappointment?

**Sarek  
**No, Spock. You are and always have been something of a challenge for me; but never a disappointment. Especially not today. If I am disappointed in anyone, I am disappointed in myself. Regardless of my motives, I should not have allowed them to treat you thus...

**Spock  
**...Apologies are... unnecessary... (*cough*)

Sarek leans forward in the chair and places the fingertips of one of his hands against Spock's temple to initiate a mind-meld.

**Sarek  
**You need to sleep, Spock.

At Sarek's mind-meld touch, Spock's eyes flutter shut. He takes in a deep breath and lets it out slowly, and his whole body seems to relax completely. Within a few seconds, Spock falls into the deep sleep of the po-zung. Once Spock is well asleep, Sarek removes his touch, and sits back in the chair to watch over his son.

**Interior: Starship **_**Enterprise**_**, Bridge:**

On the bridge of the Enterprise, Captain Kirk I sitting in his captain's chair, and Uhura is standing at her communication's station behind the captain and to his right. We can see **Ensign Pavel** **Chekhov** and **Helmsman Hirkau Sulu** at their stations in front of the captain's chair. Other **crewmembers** man stations throughout the circular bridge. A large view screen displayed on the huge porthole-window on the front of the ship shows us the images of four separate people, in four separate locations. Script under each image identifies the callers. They are: **Councilman Abdullah Shirim** of the Federation Council;** Ambassador Marissa McCormick**, of the Federation Alliance for Vulcan Affairs (FAVA); Semuk, Minister of the Transitional Council of New Vulcan; and **Halitra-Lan**7** T'Viana** an admiral in the New Vulcan fleet. Uhura controls from her station whose image appears on the screen and which channels are open for communication. She wears a silvery communications bud in one ear so she can still listen for other transmissions and signals while the dignitaries on the screen speak. At the moment, everyone on the screen is talking to Kirk at the same time and it's hard to follow any one conversation:

**T'Viana  
**...And left one of our combat cruisers battered and without warp capabilities...

**Shirim  
**...Granting sanctuary without the approval of Starfleet or the Federation Council, and putting us into a very volatile situation with the colony on New Vulcan at a time when...

**McCormick  
**...I can arrange for a meeting with...

**Semuk  
**...We want them returned to New Vulcan for crimes committed....

**Shirim  
**...We understand Spock's importance to Starfleet, but...

**McCormick  
**...When tempers flare it's impossible to...

**Semuk  
**...Protecting traitors and seditionists!

**Uhura  
**We are receiving a transmission, Captain.

**Kirk  
**Good lord, not another one --

Uhura listens briefly to the communications bud in her ear, and then informs Kirk:

**Uhura  
**It's the _Haulat_, Sa'aat's ship.

Kirk gives a bright but false smile to all of the dignitaries on the view screen, and says:

**Kirk  
**Excuse me for a moment, will you?

Uhura mutes and turns off all of the dignitaries' transmission screens, and the view screen now alights with the singular image of Sa'aat.

**Sa'aat  
**Kahr-Lan Sa'aat of the vessel _Haulat_, requesting permission for a Shuttle Bay landing.

**Kirk  
**Nice to see you, Kahr-Lan Sa'aat. Permission granted. I'll let Scotty -- my Chief Engineer -- know you're on your way in. After you disembark, I'd like you and your passengers to go to Medical Bay as per our quarantine protocols, if you don't mind. Scotty can show you the way. You know Doctor McCoy; just tell him I sent you there.

**Sa'aat  
**As you wish, Captain.

The view screen returns to its previous condition with the images of the four dignitaries, but for the moment the sound is still set to "mute". Kirk turns to Uhura.

**Kirk  
**I don't suppose you could accidentally keep it like that for a while, could you?

At her station, Uhura shakes her head and smiles. Kirk turns his command chair back around and faces the view screen again.

**Kirk  
**Nah, I guess not.

**Interior: Starship **_**Enterprise**_**, Medical Bay**

The Medical Bay is a huge circular room filled with diagnostic beds and medical equipment. There is a surgical suite off to one side, as well as a private office for Dr. McCoy and his senior staff. S'Risha and Tasmeen are still in the room, but all of the other Vulcans have seemingly been released to interact with the ship's crew. Nurse Chapel is seated at a workstation in the room inputting data from electronic charts. Tasmeen is sitting on one of the diagnostic beds with her feet dangling off the side of it while McCoy checks her ears, mouth and throat... When he's done examining her, he gives her a wink and a smile.

**McCoy  
**You're looking great, kiddo!

He reaches under the table into a concealed box and lifts out a bright neon-orange lollipop. He holds it out to Tasmeen, but she doesn't know what it is and looks to S'Risha for an explanation. S'Risha in turn looks to McCoy.

**McCoy  
**It's a lollipop; a kind of Human candy. A treat for being such a good patient.

**S'Risha  
**Humans reward their children with sweets for behaving appropriately when they should be behaving appropriately?

**McCoy  
**Yes, we do. It's called "positive reinforcement".

McCoy hands the lollipop over to Tasmeen, who accepts it, but doesn't really know what to do with it. As the child looks at the treat in her hand, McCoy lifts her off the diagnostic bed and sets her on her feet on the floor at S'Risha's side. McCoy then gestures to Nurse Chapel as he says to S'Risha:

**McCoy  
**Christine will show you where the other Vulcans are settled in for the time being. If you need anything, just ask one of the crew... We're all here to help.

**S'Risha  
**Thank you, Doctor. You and your people have been very kind.

**McCoy  
**Yeah, well... Once you get to know us Humans a little better, we'll start to grow on you. Sort of like a symbiotic fungus...

McCoy grins at his joke, but S'Risha doesn't get it.

**S'Risha  
**Was that Human humor?

**McCoy  
**It was supposed to be, yeah.

**S'Risha  
**Oh... I have heard of it, but ... I admit it is lost upon me.

**McCoy  
**Yeah, unfortunately, that seems to be par for you Vulcans.

Nurse Chapel escorts Tasmeen and S'Risha out of the Medical Bay, and Scotty arrives a few moments later with Sa'aat, Sionak, and the other Vulcans from the _Haulat_. McCoy looks the Vulcans over and says:

**McCoy  
**Okay, people, everyone on a diagnostic bed. I need your vitals and a cursory scan before I can release you to interact with the rest of the ship's compliment.

Sa'aat watches as the other Vulcans get up onto the diagnostic beds. There aren't enough beds to accommodate all of them at once, so Sa'aat and Sionak wait while the others get their check-ups. While they wait, Sa'aat realizes that Scotty is still standing beside him, eyes wide, grinning with anticipation. Sa'aat turns to face him, remaining completely stoic.

**Sa'aat  
**Yes?

**Scotty  
**The _Haulat_ is quite a ship. Very unique. Extraordinary, you might even say.

**Sa'aat  
**Yes.

**Scotty  
**And she's not Vulcan-made.

**Sa'aat  
**No.

**Scotty  
**I've never seen anything like her before. Will you let me take a look at her, your ship? See what she's made of; her specifications and the like, I mean.

**Sa'aat  
**If the _Haulat_ permits it, you may.

**Scotty  
**If the _Haulat_ permits it? What does that mean?

**Sa'aat  
**You may find my vessel to be rather "discriminating".

**Scotty  
**Oh, I'm sure we'll get along great. I have a way with the ladies, you know.

**Sa'aat  
**Of that I have little doubt, Engineer Scott.

Scotty grins and hurries off, and Sa'aat watches him go. Sionak glances over to Sa'aat and speaks quietly.

**Sionak  
**The _Haulat_ will not let him near.

**Sa'aat  
**Most likely. It will be interesting to discover, however, how well he manages with a vessel that is decidedly male and intolerant of strangers.

**Interior: Starship **_**Enterprise**_**, Shuttle Bay**

We can see the _Haulat_ sitting on the narrow landing strip near the door-end of the Shuttle Bay. It's significantly larger than the shuttles, and takes up a good deal of the floor space. It hovers slightly above the floor; its greenish-black skin smooth and quiescent. It's almost like the ship is "sleeping".

Scotty steps up to the _Haulat_. At first, his hands are behind his back, and he just walks around the perimeter of the vessel, looking it over. His eyes are wide with interest and excitement, and there is a spriteliness to his step.

**Scotty  
**Hey there, lassie... Aren't you the beauty now...

Scotty lifts a hand up and strokes the ship's belly skin. The skin ripples at his touch, and the sight of that makes him grin all the more.

**Scotty  
**Ablative armor, ectypic weaponry, how knows what kind of engines and a cloak that doesn't need to be lifted before using the weapons, all sealed up in that dark, dark skin of yours. Where are you from, then? Not this side of the galactic border, I'd fancy. Come on now; open up for me. Let me see what you're made of.

Scotty probes around the ship's skin with his hands and fingers, looking and feeling for a button or switch that give him access to the inside of the _Haulat_. Something deep inside the vessel seems to give out a low, quiet, rumbling growl at the contact.

**Scotty  
**Now, don't be a prude, lass. Open up.

The exo-skin on the _Haulat_ tightens up, then pulls into what can only be described as a "deep frown" on the side where Scotty is touching it. After a few seconds more of the contact, energy starts sparkling and sparking over the _Haulat's_ skin. Scotty takes a step back in amazement. The energy sparkles coalesce, and a white beam streaks out at Scotty, lifting him off the floor and throwing him the full length of the Shuttle Bay away from the _Haulat_. He lands upside down with his back against a pallet of cargo. As he rolls back into an upright position, startled, his face is beaming.

**Scotty  
**Aw, you mad quiff (8)! You've got a real kick, haven't you!

**Interior: Starship **_**Enterprise**_**, Medical Bay, McCoy's Office**

About an hour has gone by and everyone is now gone from the Medical Bay except for McCoy and Sa'aat. McCoy is in his office, sitting at a workstation, inputting data into the ship's medical computers while Sa'aat stands by the door and talks with him. McCoy shows Sa'aat the medical chart he collected on Spock from the scanner in the _Keswick_.

**McCoy  
**The hand-scanner isn't as detailed as the tricorder, but it still speaks volumes. Six females, not five -- and one male. I have to tell him.

**Sa'aat  
**Why? What purpose could it serve?

McCoy slams his hand on the top of the computer workstation.

**McCoy  
**It would give Spock the truth about what happened to him! Good god, man! He's been raped!

**Sa'aat  
**And how will knowing the truth of that fact aid him, McCoy? Spock has no clear memories of what occurred during the plak-tau; and his body will heal with the po-zung. Why burden him with odious facts when no good can come of it?

**McCoy  
**He has a right to know what happened to him. It just feels wrong to lie to him when I know what the facts are; when I know what others have done to him.

**Sa'aat  
**You need not lie. Simply omit.

**McCoy  
**Omissions are lies, Sa'aat.

**Sa'aat  
**Perhaps your desire to expose the truth is compelled by your desire to see the wicked exposed and punished.

**McCoy  
**Of course, that's a part of it! Whoever did this to Spock should be exposed and punished, damn it!

McCoy throws a data tablet onto the floor in frustration.

**McCoy (Continues)  
**You have rapists loose in a medical facility, for God's sake! Doesn't that concern you?!

**Sa'aat  
**Of course it does. But allow me to handle this matter in my own way, McCoy. If you expose the perpetrators and subject them to justice, Spock will be dragged through the entire litigation process along with them... He may not recover from the indignity of that. You are aware, are you not, that a Vulcan's brain will fight to suppress the memory of any intense traumatic event?

**McCoy  
**Yes, I know... Trauma and repressed memories can cause physiological and psychological damage to Vulcans: night terrors; hallucinations; a whole array of illnesses; insanity... The brain sometimes even lobotomizes itself, or cuts off normal function... like it did with little Tasmeen. She's never going to be able to talk again, is she?

**Sa'aat  
**"Never" is finite; "never" is unknowable. But would you risk disabling Spock in such a manner when you can avoid it?

**McCoy  
**I don't know!

**Sa'aat  
**You must keep this information to yourself, McCoy.

**McCoy  
**I don't know if I can do that. I don't know if I should do that --

McCoy puts a hand to his face and rubs his eyelids. Then he focuses on the computer again and starts entering more data; trying to ignore Sa'aat and the current dilemma presented to him.

Sa'aat steps further into the room and carefully sets the tricorder he had borrowed from McCoy earlier onto the top of the workstation next to where McCoy is seated. McCoy looks up at it, and then looks to Sa'aat.

**McCoy  
**Well, it's about damn time. I thought you'd never bring this back.

McCoy reaches for the tricorder, and when he does Sa'aat takes hold of his wrist and pulls the doctor toward him. McCoy looks startled by the contact, but before he can object to it, Sa'aat lifts his free hand and places his fingertips against McCoy's temple.

McCoy's expression goes blank for a moment as Sa'aat mind-melds with him. Then Sa'aat releases his touch and lets go of McCoy's wrist. The doctor blinks a few times, frowns, and then looks up at Sa'aat.

**McCoy  
**I'm sorry, I must be more tired than I thought I was. Zoned out for a minute there. What were we talking about?

**Sa'aat  
**You were going to let me look at the medical data-tablet on Spock, to see if it provided us with any more information than the medical tricorder did.

**McCoy  
**Oh? That doesn't sound like me.

**Sa'aat  
**I understand your oaths and the concepts of patient-to-doctor confidentiality. But I already saw all there is to see about Spock's condition when I used the tricorder on him. You will not be revealing to me anything I do not already know.

**McCoy  
**I guess that's true...

The doctor hands the data-tablet on Spock over to Sa'aat, and then reaches for the medical tricorder. As McCoy tries to link the tricorder with the computer at his workstation, Sa'aat skims through the information on the tablet. With his fingertip, he highlights some of the data and then taps on the tablet's face covertly to delete the highlighted information. Sa'aat hands the now altered data-tablet back over to McCoy.

**Sa'aat  
**Thank you. But there is less information there than I have already gathered...  
(changing the subject)  
Where did you say Ambassador Sarek was?

**McCoy  
**Last I heard he was with Spock in Spock's quarters... I can have someone escort you there if you'd like.

**Sa'aat  
**No. I can find my way.

Sa'aat starts to leave the office, when McCoy says his name; irritated:

**McCoy  
**Sa'aat.

In the doorway, Sa'aat turns to face the doctor. McCoy lifts the tricorder up with one hand and shakes it.

**McCoy  
**This unit has been purged.

**Sa'aat  
**Has it? My apologies.

Sa'aat leaves and McCoy shakes his head at the Vulcan. Then he sees the tablet on the floor and goes to pick it up, muttering angrily to himself:

**McCoy  
**Great. Apparently, somebody thinks the whole damn floor is a wastebasket now.

**Interior: Starship **_**Enterprise**_**, Corridor Outside of the Medical Bay**

As Sa'aat exits the Medical Bay and comes face-to-face with Sarek, who is standing in the corridor. Sa'aat is still for a moment, and then continues to walk down the corridor with Sarek beside him. The men speak in hushed tones and _in Vulcan_ so as not to be overheard.

**Sa'aat  
**I was not aware that you were nearby, Ambassador.

**Sarek  
**I shielded that information from you, Sa'aat. Somewhat easily, it seems, as you were preoccupied.

**Sa'aat  
**I was just on my way to see you.

**Sarek  
**So I heard...

**Sa'aat  
**And you heard more.

**Sarek  
**Yes. Humans have the tendency to raise their voices in stressful situations, and the sound carries quite a distance -- even to non-Vulcan ears.

**Sa'aat  
**I should have cautioned the doctor to be more discrete.

**Sarek  
**And would that discretion have included keeping from me the information of crimes committed against my son's person?

**Sa'aat  
**I would have spared you the knowledge, yes.

**Sarek  
**That would have been disingenuous of you, Sa'aat. Who are the sixth female and the male?

**Sa'aat  
**I have not yet confirmed their identities to my satisfaction.

**Sarek  
**But you have evidence that designates suspects.

**Sa'aat  
**Yes. However, it would be best if you remained ignorant of that evidence. For your own protection, Ambassador, do not pursue this issue further...

**Sarek  
**You would keep me ignorant to shield me from possible prosecution in the future.

**Sa'aat  
**Yes. It is what the Humans refer to as "plausible deniability".

**Sarek  
**I am in the habit of fighting my own battles, Sa'aat.

**Sa'aat  
**I know, which is why I now intervene on your behalf.

**Sarek  
**I can always make assumptions. I know that T'Pau and Semuk were the last to be with Spock in the surgical arena. It sickens me to think that a once noble clan member would so debase herself -- and my child. And there are no words to describe Semuk if he is indeed the male involved in this.

**Sa'aat  
**Keep your assumptions if you must, Ambassador, but leave the evidence of the matter and its resolution to me. Trust me when I say that I will ensure that the criminals who despoiled your son will face the severest consequences for their actions. Now, I pray you, let us not speak upon this further. No good can come of it.  
(after a pause)  
How is Spock?

**Sarek  
**Deep within the po-zung when I left him. He is in his quarters with the female Uhura.

**Interior: Starship **_**Enterprise**_**, Spock's Quarters, Bedroom**

Spock is on the bed, naked, buried under blankets, and is sleeping deeply, soundly. Uhura is dressed in a sheer nightgown and robe, and is curled up in the chair Sarek had pulled up close to the bedside earlier. She is watching Spock sleep as she listens to a recording on a tiny audio player in her lap through a mechanical bud in her right ear.

We can then **hear what Uhura is hearing through the ear bud**: There is a lilting harp-like music playing with a slow, soothing cadence. It goes on for several seconds, and then winds down to an exquisite finish. When the music stops we hear the sound of one person clapping, and then a conversation between two people _**(their voices over the ear bud)**_**:**

**Uhura  
**That was lovely, Spock! What was it?

**Spock  
**"Svai Haulan" (9) by Stilk.

**FLASHBACK TO:**

**Interior: Starship **_**Enterprise**_**, Spock's Quarters, Bedroom (Several Months Earlier)**

Spock is sitting in the chair across the room, and Uhura is sitting cross-legged on top of the blankets on his bed with the star field portal behind her. Spock is wearing a black Federation-issue t-shirt and black pants; Uhura is dressed in capris and a brightly colored cashmere sweater. She is happy, grinning.

**Uhura  
**Gorgeous... And I love the way you play it. You put so much of yourself into the music... Will you play one of your own pieces for me?

**Spock  
**I am no comparison to Stilk.

**Uhura  
**I'm not comparing... I'm just enjoying. Play something else for me.

Spock holds his ka'athyra on his lap with the body of the instrument pressed against his chest, and the long harp-arm of it to the right side of his head. There is a moment of silence, and then Spock start's tuning the ka'athyra, making infinitely fine adjustments to the tone of it as he says:

**Spock  
**Did I tell you that this ka'athyra was a gift from my father?

**Uhura  
**No. Really?

**Spock  
**Indeed. He felt it would assist me in finding my center; in establishing discipline within myself when I was feeling conflicted or had lost sight of my boundaries.  
(after a pause)  
I think of him whenever I play it...

**Uhura  
**I think he'd like that.

**Spock  
**Doubtful. My father has never been the sentimental sort.

Uhura gets off the bed and walks the short distance over to where Spock is seated as she says:

**Uhura  
**He doesn't have to be "sentimental" to appreciate being in his son's thoughts on occasion.

**Spock  
**Perhaps...

Uhura sits on the left arm of the chair and rakes Spock's smooth hair with her fingers. Then she kisses him softly on the top of his head. Spock lifts his face to her and kisses her on the mouth; a long, soft, deep kiss that makes Uhura sigh and smile at him. Spock then adjusts himself slightly in the seat, and starts playing another tune.

**Spock  
**This one is called "Wanimo Ashaya" (10).

**Uhura  
**Ooo, my favorite.

Uhura grins more broadly and folds her arms around Spock's shoulders as he continues to play for her. She kisses his ear and presses her face against the side of his head, breathing in the scent of him. Spock closes his eyes and leans in toward her, quietly relishing her touch.

**BACK TO PRESENT**

**Interior: Starship **_**Enterprise**_**, Spock's Quarters, Bedroom**

The bud in Uhura's ear fills with Spock's sweet music. And sitting in the chair, Uhura's eyes fill with silent tears.

**Interior: Starship Enterprise, Captain's Quarters**

Kirk is taking off his clothes and getting himself ready for bed. He's pulling his undershirt over his head when the com-link *bings!* at him demanding his attention. He looks through the neck hole of the shirt at the link-monitor on his dresser and scowls. Kirk pulls his shirt back down over his body and walks to the monitor. He taps a button with his middle finger to activate it, and we can see Pavel Chekhov's face appear on the small monitor screen.

**Kirk  
**Kirk, here. What is it, Mr. Chekhov?

**Chekhov  
**Captain, Mister Alexander and the personnel from Cindery 23 would like to know when they may expect to reach their destination.

**Kirk  
**Oh, crap. The transport mission... Damn it, I forgot all about them!  
(recovering)  
Um, tell them... Tell them we'll be back on track to Starbase 37 within the next 72 hours. Apologize to them for me for the delays; and let them know that I'll clear everything for them with the flag officer on the base so they don't get in trouble for arriving late.

**Chekhov  
**(over the com-link monitor)  
Aye, Captain.

The monitor screen goes blank and Kirk lets go a heavy sigh.

**Kirk  
**Cripes, I need a secretary.

* * *

1 **Kasemano McCoy t'yana sep-wafikhsha**: literally translated from the Vulcan this sentence would read, "Doctor McCoy with you agrees now (presently)."

2 **Author's note**: A "normal" heartbeat for Vulcans is about 240 beats per minute; and "normal" blood pressure is about 80/40.

3 **Author's** **Note**: According to Trek canon, Vulcans don't need a lot of light in order to see clearly. The illumination generally required by Humans is actually considered quite "bright" to Vulcan eyes.

4 **Horga'hn**: a statuette from the "pleasure planet" Risa, which is used to initiate or respond to requests for sexual activity.

5 **Ka'athyra**: The name for the Vulcan lute or lyre. According to the Memory Alpha Site: "[the lyre is a]twelve-stringed instrument, that was tuned on a diatonic scale" (a musical scale with 7 notes). According to Trek canon, Spock is very proficient in this instrument.

6 **32.77° C** is approximately 91° Fahrenheit.

7 **Halitra-Lan**: Vulcan word for Admiral.

8 **Quiff**: Scottish slang for a promiscuous woman.

9 **"Svai Haulan"**: translated from the Vulcan it means "floral reflections".

10 **Wanimo Ashaya**: The Vulcan for "My Love".


	6. Chapter 6

**The Ek'tevan Prerogative  
****By Mary K. Hanson  
**Limited Copyright © 2010

* * *

**ACT SIX:**

**Interior: Starship **_**Enterprise**_**, Corridor**

We see Captain Kirk, in his Starfleet uniform, walking through the corridors of the ship as he heads for Spock's quarters. Uniformed crewmembers in the corridor nod to him respectfully as he passes, and he acknowledges each of them with a nod in return. He looks pleased and well-rested. As he walks, we can hear a **voice over** of Kirk narrating an entry in his official log:

**Kirk (V.O.)  
**Captain's Log: Supplemental. The _Enterprise_ is currently on it's way to the Naruba Sector after a stop off at Starbase 37. The Alexander team was admitted onto the base by the stationmaster only two days behind schedule... Kahr-Lan Sa'aat has left with the _Haulat_, but didn't provide us with a flight plan, so I'm not sure where he's gone off to just now. He promised Spock he would keep in touch... Ambassador Sarek and the members of the Fonn Vulkhansu Sect have been transferred to the _USS Lopez-Alegria_ and are on their way to Earth for temporary settlement in Nevada while we seek a suitable alternative planet in another system. We had hoped to be able to return them to New Vulcan, but for the time being that is out of the question... On New Vulcan, T'Pau has seized control of the military and declared war on the Federation. Her people are viewing her decision as hysteria, however, since New Vulcan in its present state cannot possibly defend itself against the Federation's armada -- and her time in control of the Transitional Council may be quickly coming to an end. Leaders from other factions are already vying for control of the planetary government, and it is feared that New Vulcan may be on the verge of a civil war. Diplomats are already on their way with hopes of de-escalating the situation there before there is any bloodshed...

**Interior: Starship Enterprise, Corridor, Outside Spock's Quarters**

When he reaches the door of Spock's quarters, Kirk presses the door chime. A few seconds later, Uhura comes to the door, dressed in casual clothes and no shoes. She's grinning and, bouncing on her toes, she stands aside so Kirk can enter.

**Kirk  
**You're in a good mood.

**Uhura  
**Spock's finally eating something -- !

**Kirk  
**You do know that Vulcans can go for several days without food or water, right?

**Uhura  
**I know that; I'm just glad to see he's got his appetite back.

**Interior: Starship Enterprise, Spock's Quarters, Bedroom**

Kirk follows Uhura into the bedroom where he finds Dr. McCoy sitting in the plush recliner chair, and Spock sitting up cross-legged on the bed with an array of dinner trays scatters all around him on the covers. Spock is wearing a robe and dark pajamas. Like Uhura, his feet are bare.

On the bed around him, each of the dinner trays holds an assortment of Vulcan delicacies and some Earth food that are all favorites of Spock's. There is no meat to be seen; only a variety of vegetables, cheeses, fruit, soups, and legumes. Spock is looking very well; still bruised but no longer drawn, in pain, or exhausted. His eyes are bright, and his mind is quick. He seems famished, however, and holds a plate of what looks like red asparagus in one hand while he uses a long narrow fork in his other hand to take samples from the other plates and bowls and eats them. His mouth is full when Kirk enters, so he cannot immediately address the captain. He does make an attempt to stand, but Kirk gestures for him to stay where he is, so he does.

Uhura sits down on the end of the bed and holds out to Spock a plate with what looks like boiled kale on it. Spock scoops a forkful onto his plate of asparagus and devours it.

Kirk remains standing at the foot of the bed and is all smiles. Although the captain looks at Spock, he first addresses McCoy.

**Kirk  
**How's our patient doing, Bones?

**McCoy  
**Body temperature, pulse rate and blood pressure all back to their peculiar Vulcan norms; and his lungs are clear, but he's as ornery as he ever was. I've been trying to get him to agree to rest for a couple more days, Jim, but I'm not having much luck.

Spock swallows what he has in his mouth.

**Spock  
**I am fit for duty, Captain.

**Kirk  
**That may be, Spock. But I'd like you to take the doctor's advice and give yourself a break anyway. Getting a little extra rest now can't hurt you. Ensign Chekhov is doing well at your station for now... Besides, you've got about a billion days of shore leave coming to you that you've never taken. You should start using them up before they go stale.

Spock frowns slightly, and cocks his head to one side.

**Spock  
**The inaccuracy of those last two statements was truly staggering, Captain.

Uhura chuckles, and Kirk looks over to McCoy.

**Kirk  
**You're right; he is ornery.

**McCoy  
**Told you.

Kirk reaches down and takes from one of the plates on Spock's bed what looks like a strawberry bathed in chocolate. He puts the whole thing into his mouth at once, and starts chewing. Spock raises an eyebrow, and both McCoy and Uhura jump up onto their feet, exclaiming at the same time:

**McCoy  
**No, Jim!

**Uhura  
**Oh, Captain, that's so not okay!

Kirk looks at them wondering what all of the fuss is about, and then suddenly his face turns bright red and his eyes fill with tears of pain. He spits the berry out into one of his palms, his tongue burning and his throat raw.

**Kirk  
**Shit! What is that!?

**Uhura  
**A strawberry wrapped in chocolate... laced with Bhut Jolokia (1) pepper sauce.

**Kirk  
**What?!

**McCoy  
**You know better than to eat Vulcan food, Jim. It's spicier than hell. The stuff you just ate was almost as hot as law enforcement grade pepper spray.

Kirk runs to the bathroom to flush the strawberry down the toilet. Spock reaches over to one of the trays on his bed and picks up what looks like a glass of milk. He hands it over to Uhura.

**Spock  
**The Captain may require this.

**McCoy  
**What is it?

**Spock  
**Humans call it "soy milk".

Uhura takes the milk into the bathroom to Kirk, and we can hear her say:

**Uhura  
**(voice over)  
Drink this, it will help cut down the heat. Careful now... No, don't touch your eyes until you've washed the pepper off your hands -- ! Oh, Captain!

**Kirk  
**(voice over, in pain)  
Crap, crap and crap!

We hear Uhura start to chuckle. McCoy grins in her direction, and Spock continues to eat from the foods on his bed.

* * *

**EPILOGUE**

**Interior: Semuk's Home on New Vulcan, Front Room -- Night**

There is very little light in the living room of Semuk's home, but a single shaded lamp illuminates an area where there is a rich-looking couch and lounge chair. The furnishings are upholstered in what looks like velvet and brocade, and are made of dark wood. On the floor in front of the couch, lying on his stomach, we see Semuk. His skin has gone pale and waxy; his eyes are open wide but sightless; and there is a large pool of green blood spreading out from underneath him. We cannot see his injuries, but the blood around him is profuse.

**Interior: T'Pau's Home on New Vulcan, Front Room -- Night**

We can see T'Pau going through her front room, turning off lamps and tidying up things as she readies for bed. We then **hear two loud knocks** on the front door, and T'Pau looks up.

**T'Pau  
**Who is there?

When no one answers, T'Pau walks cautiously to the door and touches the surface of it, as though she is trying to "read" through the door to discover who is on the other side. After a few moments, she removes her hand from the door and opens it. No one is outside. T'Pau looks around, and then notices a small package lying by the threshold. She picks it up, looks around again, and then moves back into her front room and shuts the door.

T'Pau carries the package over to the nearest piece of furniture, a small ornate table, and sets it down. After a few seconds of looking the package over, she opens it -- and then immediately throws it and its contents on the floor with a gasp.

On the floor, spilled out of the opened package is Semuk's severed penis and a note in Vulcan script which simply reads: "Tevik itisha k'lash-tor"2.

**Exterior: T'Pau's Home on New Vulcan, Sa'aat's POV -- Night**

In the dark of night outside, we can barely make out the tall form of Sa'aat as he stands near the end of the walled garden in the front of T'Pau's house. He is looking at the house, and from his vantage point we can see T'Pau through the windows of her illuminated living room. She steps up to the glass and looks outside, but is unable to see Sa'aat. A few moments pass, and we can then see T'Pau step away from the windows with her hand over her heart.

Sa'aat lifts his small communicator device to his mouth and speaks into it quietly:

**Sa'aat  
**_Haulat_, ifis-tor ana (3).

Sa'aat is bathed in the signature yellow-gold-spray of the _Haulat's_ transporter device, and vanishes from the planet surface.

* * *

1 **Bhut Jolokia pepper:** a pepper commonly recognized as the hottest chili pepper on Earth, even hotter than the Red Savina Habanero pepper. On the Scoville scale it rates between 855,000–1,050,000.

2 **Tevik itisha k'lash-tor**: from the Vulcan it translates as "The rapist is dead," or "Dead is the rapist."

3 **Ifis-tor ana**: from the Vulcan it translates as "transport one"


End file.
